Well, this is interesting. Days after Adblock Fast launched in Google Play as the first ad blocker for Samsung’s browser, the app has been pulled from the store.
Adblock Fast is no longer available from Google Play, and developer Rocketship Apps has received an email from the Google Play Review Team to confirm that the app has been disabled. The app reviewer says that Adblock Fast violates section 4.4 of Google’s Developer Distribution Agreement, which looks like this:
4.4 Prohibited Actions. You agree that you will not engage in any activity with the Store, including the development or distribution of Products, that interferes with, disrupts, damages, or accesses in an unauthorized manner the devices, servers, networks, or other properties or services of any third party including, but not limited to, Android users, Google or any mobile network operator. You may not use customer information obtained from the Store to sell or distribute Products outside of the Store.
Adblock Fast was using Samsung’s official API, so it’s not like the app was “unauthorized.” It did interfere with ads on web pages, so Google could be taking issue with that, but what’s strange is that the Adblock Plus app for Samsung’s browser is still live in Google Play.
It’s possible that Adblock Fast was pulled in error and that it’ll reappear on Google Play’s virtual shelves soon. Google hasn’t issued any statements on the matter or said anything beyond its original email to Rocketship Apps, so for now we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
