According to a story at Android Police, a number of developers of Android apps which have the capability to block ads in web browsers have received notifications from Google that their apps have been kicked out of the Google Play store and are no longer available for download. The notifications from Google clearly note that the reason the apps are being pulled is because they violate the Google Play Store’s developer agreement: “REASON FOR REMOVAL: Violation of section 4.4 of the Developer Distribution Agreement.” After a regular review we have determined that your app interferes with or accesses another service or product in an unauthorized manner. This violates the provision of your agreement with Google referred to above. A search for “adblock” on the play store this morning returned no relevant results, and directly accessing a URL for an ad-blocking package shows the package’s page and a notice that the app is “no longer available.”
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.