No More Ad-Blocking Apps in Google Play Store

Owners of Android-based devices can no longer find and download ad-blocking applications through the Google Play Store, it seems.

Google has decided that all these apps are in violation of Section 4.4 of the Android Developer Distribution Agreement, and has removed all of them from the official storefront.

Even open source software such as AdAway has been removed from the app portal, and is expected to never appear there again.

The main reason for this move is the fact that these apps were meant to disrupt the functionality of other software (given that they were ad blockers), a functionality that is prohibited in the aforementioned Section 4.4 of the distribution agreement, Pocketnow explains.

For some, Google’s approach to this might seem disturbing, since Android users are denied control on what apps do on their devices. However, these ad-blocking apps can still be downloaded and installed manually from the web.