Google Blocks Microsoft Phones From YouTube

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Could it be that Google is shoveling Microsoft some foo? Reports coming from many frustrated Windows Phone users are saying that the newly re-designed YouTube app doesn't work, and neither does the mobile YouTube website. The apparent incompatibly is also effecting Windows Phone apps that have YouTube videos embedded inside.

Google confirms that the application has been blocked for violating the terms of use. Despite the two companies collaborating on an app based on HTML5, Microsoft's app is still breaking YouTube's terms of use. "Microsoft has not made the browser upgrades necessary to enable a fully-featured YouTube experience, and has instead re-released a YouTube app that violates our Terms of Service," says a Google spokesperson. "It has been disabled. We value our broad developer community and therefore ask everyone to adhere to the same guidelines."

Microsoft says it's working on resolving the issue with its updated YouTube app. "Google is blocking our updated YouTube app for Windows Phone," says a Microsoft spokesperson. "We are working with them to resolve the issue."