Google And Amazon Spat Intensifies As YouTube App Is Pulled From Fire TV And Echo Show

Amazon and Google have an on again and off again relationship that all started with a spat over how YouTube was presented on the Amazon Show device. Google pulled YouTube from the Amazon Show because of issues with the layout of the video app that removed some of YouTube's normal capabilities. Only a few weeks ago, the YouTube app returned to the Amazon Show and everyone though that the feud was over.

As it turns out, the war between the two companies is far form over. Google has now announced that it will be blocking YouTube from two Amazon devices. Google has also criticized Amazon for refusing to sell Google's own line of competing Google Home devices and other Google hardware. Google Home and Amazon's Echo line of devices are direct competitors and seen as the two top companies in the voice-controlled devices arena. Voice controlled computers and devices are expected to boom in coming years making this a big market for companies to fight over.

Google wrote in a statement, "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 feels differently about the whole thing and has stated, "Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer access to an open website." Amazon says that, however, not offering its Amazon Prime app for Google devices is essentially the same thing in many eyes.

If you are an owner of one of the Amazon devices that no longer has support for YouTube, there is a workaround. Amazon says that you can access YouTube through the internet on both devices in the meantime.