US start-up Disconnect has filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission against Google for banning its mobile app in the play store.
The complaint adds to an ongoing European Union antitrust investigation of Google over allegations of anti-competition practices.
Disconnect alleged that Google removed its app from the Play store in 2014, citing that it violated its developer distribution deal which prohibits apps from interfering with other apps.
Disconnect said: "Disconnect charges Google with abusing its dominant market position by banning Disconnect’s app, a revolutionary technology that protects users from invisible tracking and malvertising, malware served through advertisements."
Disconnect, which was founded in 2011 by former Google engineers, makes apps with a focus on privacy and security.
Google issued a statement calling the Disconnect complaint as baseless.
"Our Google Play policies have long prohibited apps that interfere with other apps – such as altering their functionality, or removing their way of making money.
"We apply this policy uniformly and Android developers strongly support it. All apps must comply with these policies and there are over 200 privacy apps available in Google Play that do."
Earlier this year, Google has rebuffed the EU’s allegations that it is abusing its market dominance in the search and smartphone markets.
The search engine claimed that despite its 90% share of the European search market and it subsidiary Android’s 70% share of the European smartphone market, competition was still thriving in the sector.
