Google removes adblocker for Samsung’s Android browser from the Play Store

Google has pulled the most popular ad blocker for Samsung’s Android browser from the Play Store to date. Adblock Fast was a ‘launch partner’ of Samsung before the release of the api. Google has not yet commented on the removal.

Google invokes article 4.4 of the Developer Distribution Agreement, The Next Web writes based on an email from the search giant to the developer. The app is indeed no longer available in the Play Store, although Google still has the listing in the Play Store in the cache.

It is unknown why Google has removed the application, while competing apps such as AdBlock Plus can still be found in the Play Store. The developer thinks it’s because his app was the first to top lists in the Play Store and Google is paying attention to that.

Samsung made an API public last week to release adblockers for Samsung’s browser on Android phones. The first ad blockers appeared recently. In June 2015, Apple already announced to allow ad blockers in its own browser in iOS 9. This was followed by a major spike in popularity of ad blockers in the App Store. In Android, it was less easy to install an adblocker extension. For example, in order not to see ads, independent browsers were needed, such as the browser from AdBlock Plus.