The Wall Street Journal reports on the removal of certain apps from the Android Google Play store based on Google’s policy of banning apps that interfere with other apps. Disconnect Mobile is one such app that was recently removed from the store; its aim was to stop other apps from collecting data on users. The practice is indicative of the concerns that some have voiced over the amount of control Google, and its rival Apple, have through their app stores. Casey Oppenheim, Disconnect’s co-founder, notes, “There is no reason why you shouldn’t have the same degree of control over the computer you have in your pocket as you do over your computer on your desktop,” but a Google spokeswoman says its policies are “designed to provide a great experience for users and developers.” (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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