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Image credit: ZDnet
We happily shared news of updated WP YouTube application coming to store which was supposed to have Google’s consent as well.
Alas! That was not supposed to last long as Google is back to its strange ways of hindering quality access to its services on Windows phone, the 3rd smartphone OS with nearly 40 million users now. And their excuses like always sound phony as MS has incorporated ads as well on their instance in new app.
But seems MS has had enough of this like all WP users and have decided to tear into the “hypocrisy of openness” and “manufactured excuses” by “Google the evil“. Here are some parts from an open letter posted by David Howard, Corporate Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Litigation & Antitrust, Microsoft.
When we first built a YouTube app for Windows Phone, we did so with the understanding that Google claimed to grow its business based on open access to its platforms and content, a point it reiterated last year. As antitrust enforcers have launched investigations against Google – some of which are still ongoing – the company has reiterated its commitment to openness and its ability to stick to its openness commitments voluntarily.
It seems to us that Google’s reasons for blocking our app are manufactured so that we can’t give our users the same experience Android and iPhone users are getting. The roadblocks Google has set up are impossible to overcome, and they know it.
Finally, Google cites a degraded experience. Since 2010, Google permitted a Windows Phone app that was far below the iPhone and Android app experiences. Reviews of our new app are unanimous that the experience is much improved, and we’re committed to making adjustments to improve it further. If Google were truly concerned about a degraded experience, it would allow our users access to the new YouTube app they love.
We think it’s clear that Google just doesn’t want Windows Phone users to have the same experience as Android and Apple users, and that their objections are nothing other than excuses. Nonetheless, we are committed to giving our users the experience they deserve, and are happy to work with Google to solve any legitimate concerns they may have. In the meantime, we once again request that Google stop blocking our YouTube app.
It becomes amply clear that Google is somehow trying to block progress of Windows Phone platform and no, they are not keeping anything open but just using the veil of openness to hide their true intentions. They wouldn’t make a good native WP YouTube app themselves and block if MS does so on its own employing its own resources. This is shameful and highly deplorable!!
Coming to what options MS and we as the users have here,
MS along with Nokia and partner companies must put pressure on Google through all possible channels, even if that means antitrust complaints or persons of influence like “Bill Gates” going and meeting highest authorities.
We as suffering users have al rights to raise our complaint to authorities in our respective locations.I don’t think the complaint of so many active Lumia users can go unnoticed.
Last but not the least is spreading the above post by MS or the message that how Google is blocking and restricting access to YouTube and thereby openly showing its hypocrisy.
Read the full letter here.
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