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Google pulls YouTube from Amazon devices, escalating spat
A rare public spat in the technology industry escalated on Tuesday when Google said it would block its video streaming application YouTube from two Amazon.com Inc devices and criticized the online retailer for not selling Google hardware.
[...] In a statement, Google said, "Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn't make (its) Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of (our sister company) Nest's latest products. "Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and Fire TV," Google said. "We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon."
[...] Amazon said in a statement, "Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer access to an open website." It said it hoped to resolve the issue with Google as soon as possible but customers could access YouTube through the internet - not an app - on the devices in the meantime.
Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Video has come to the Apple TV.
Also at The Verge and Variety.
Previously: Google Pulls YouTube off of the Amazon Echo Show
Google's "Manhattan" to Compete With Amazon's Echo Show
(Score: 2) by MrGuy on Thursday December 07 2017, @03:22AM (5 children)
...between this and Apple getting in a spat with Disney and blocking all Disney IP's from resolving on all Macs, iPhones, and iPads?
Since when does the manufacturer of a device have the reserved right to determine whose content I may and may not consume with it?
This isn't a net neutrality argument - net neutrality is about network operators prioritizing traffic on the wire. This is about device makers claiming they should have veto power over what networks their customers may connect to. Different, and probably a significantly worse threat.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DutchUncle on Thursday December 07 2017, @04:14AM (2 children)
>>> device makers claiming they should have veto power over what networks their customers may connect to.
Ummm, no, backwards. This is about a web site having veto power over what software is allowed to view it, and thereby blocking a category of hardware using particular software. And it's about customers who did nothing wrong and have no input to the situation suddenly having functionality stolen away from devices they bought and paid for. It's about all of the openness of the Internet being sliced into walled gardens.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 07 2017, @09:06AM
So same as websites falsely saying they require IE and not showing anything else when using a different browser. Nothing new to see here, move along youngster.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 07 2017, @09:49AM
the people who want to watch youtube videos are not google's customers.
the people in this story are actually amazon's customers, because they paid amazon for the privilege of watching youtube.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Mykl on Thursday December 07 2017, @04:33AM
The difference, if I understand the article, is that Google is pulling their own app from Amazon's devices. The Echo and Fire can still access YouTube through a standard web connection though. Google's not blocking traffic, they're just pulling their app.
This is more akin to Google releasing Maps features on Android ahead of the same functionality (if at all) on their iOS apps.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday December 07 2017, @08:05AM
Since it was manufactured? No, since it was designed. It's their product, they spec it.
Noone forced you to buy it, don't give your talers to manufacturers that make products like this.
(Which also applies to software, and also applies to "platforms", which are more appropriate to the story, as it's not the hardware manufacturer that's causing the stink this time.)
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