Amazon has been forced to remove its app from the Play Store after Google changed its terms to block the retailer’s inclusion of its own rival Android App Store.
Back in late October we reported Amazon was openly selling Android apps from within its main app (stay with us here…), allowing device owners to by-pass the Google Play Store.
Android Police reports a subtle changing in the wording of Google’s Developer Distribution Policy has allowed it to take action and effectively banish the this version of the Amazon app.
Whereas previously the document ruled against stores who had a “primary purpose of selling apps,” a loophole Amazon exploited, the policy now omits the word “primary.”
Amazon has removed the main app and has replaced it with the Amazon Shopping app.
“As a result [of Google’s policy change], we removed the app from Google Play and published the Amazon Shopping app. Customers who want the best Amazon experience on their Android phone, including access to Prime Instant Video and Amazon’s entire digital catalog, can still get the Amazon App for Android Phones at amazon.com/androidapp.”
There’s no word yet on when the main Amazon app will be back on the Play Store, minus that Appstore. At this time of year we wouldn’t imagine Amazon would want its mobile portal to be missing for very long.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
