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Google pulls YouTube from Amazon Fire TV, Echo Show

If Amazon isn't going to carry Google products like Home, it doesn't want YouTube available on Echo devices.
Written by Jake Smith, Contributor
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(Image: File photo)

Google on Tuesday said it will pull its YouTube service from the Amazon Echo Show and Fire TV.

Echo Show users won't be able to use YouTube starting Monday. Fire TV users will start seeing a notification warning them the service will be unavailable as of Jan. 1, 2018.

Google's move to pull the YouTube from the Amazon platform comes after the YouTube app was removed three months ago. In turn, Amazon stopped selling the Nest Secure alarm system, Camera IQ, and E Thermostat, and directed its users to the web version of YouTube.

"We've been trying to reach agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other's products and services," a Google spokeswoman told ZDNet. "But Amazon doesn't carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn't make Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of Nest's latest products."

"Given this lack of reciprocity," she added. "We are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and FireTV. We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon."

With the holiday shopping season, Google probably wants its Home products positioned against the Echo on Amazon's own turf. Recently, Google began offering the Home Mini and Home Max as different size options to the Home.

"Echo Show and Fire TV now display a standard web view of YouTube.com and point customers directly to YouTube's existing website," an Amazon spokesperson told ZDNet. "Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer access to an open website. We hope to resolve this with Google as soon as possible."

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