Google demands Microsoft pull Windows Phone 8 Youtube app

Carly Page
@CarlyPage_
16 May 2013

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INTERNET GIANT Google has demanded that Microsoft pull the Windows Phone 8 Youtube app from its Windows app store, claiming the app violates the terms of its services.

Google sent a cease and desist letter to Microsoft, saying that it must remove the app before 22 May for a number of reasons. Google didn't go on to say what it might do if Microsoft doesn't pull the app, but we're guessing that Google won't take that lying down.

A letter from the Youtube director of platform partnerships sent to Microsoft reads, "We recently became aware of a Microsoft-authored Youtube application for Windows Phone 8.

"It appears that the application: allows users to download videos from Youtube; prevents the display of advertisements in Youtube video playbacks; and plays videos that our partners have restricted from playback on certain platforms (e.g., mobile devices with limited feature sets). These features directly harm our content creators and clearly violate our Terms of Service.

"We request that you immediately withdraw this application from the Windows Phone Store and disable existing downloads of the application by Wednesday, May 22, 2013."

Microsoft has responded to Google, claiming that it would be happy to add ads to the service, but offering the excuse that Google hasn't supplied it with the correct APIs.

A Microsoft spokesperson told The INQUIRER, "Youtube is consistently one of the top apps downloaded by smartphone users on all platforms, but Google has refused to work with us to develop an app on par with other platforms.

"Since we updated the Youtube app to ensure our mutual customers a similar Youtube experience, ratings and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive. We'd be more than happy to include advertising but need Google to provide us access to the necessary APIs.

"In light of Larry Page's comments today calling for more interoperability and less negativity, we look forward to solving this matter together for our mutual customers."

Google was not immediately available for comment. µ