Google is Set to Remove YouTube Apps from Roku App Store | Roku is Claiming Google Asked for Preferential Treatment in Search Results

Urian B., Tech Times 22 October 2021, 01:10 pm

Google is now set to remove YouTube apps from the Roku app store. Roku is currently claiming that Google asked for preferential treatment when it comes to Roku's search results.

YouTube Set to Leave Roku

According to the story by CNBC, YouTube is now set to leave Roku. The fight between both companies has caught the attention of Congress members attempting to push their own Big Tech antitrust legislation. After a whole month-long fight between Roku and YouTube's parent company Google.

Google recently announced that it would no longer allow Roku customers to download the YouTube or YouTube TV apps to their own devices starting Dec. 9. This means that anyone who reportedly buys a brand new Roku device after the said date will no longer be able to install YouTube apps.

Roku Claims About Google

This is now reportedly the latest battle between a Big Tech giant against a smaller tech firm that is trying to compete with each other. Like other small tech companies, Roku is now claiming that Google is using its own dominant market power to force other unfavorable terms on a competitor.

In the meantime, an email was sent from a Google executive to Roku as the two sides were reportedly negotiating their agreement counters Google's own public statement that it hadn't asked Roku for special treatment. This was before allowing the YouTube app on certain Roku devices.

Roku Catches Eye of Two Congress Members

Roku's own claims had already caught the eye of two of the most important Congress members that were attempting to reign in Big Tech through particular antitrust legislation. These include Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who sided with Roku. Google TV is now most likely to stream free TV channels like Roku and Samsung TV Plus as reported in September 2021.

The fight between both companies centered on a 2019 agreement that was to allow YouTube TV on Roku. Roku noted that Google demanded special access to search data from certain Roku customers as a condition of allowing YouTube TV on particular Roku devices.

Roku on Google's Requests

Roku also notes that Google asked for its own prioritized search results for YouTube videos in Roku's own search feature. Roku noted that it had agreed with those particular terms but had also asked Google not to ask for any other additional data. An article in June 2021 gave more detail about Roku's accusations on Google for monopolistic tactics.

Google noted that it would not commit to that as per Roku. Both sides are currently at an impasse. Unless both companies decide to come to an agreement before Dec. 9, YouTube's apps will reportedly disappear from Roku's own app store. David Cicilline tweeted out that "we cannot allow Big Tech to continue to throw its weight around."

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Written by Urian B.