Google Play has booted a third-party app for BitChute, one of the most popular free speech focused YouTube alternatives, from its app store as part of another contentious crackdown on an alt-tech competitor.

The app was created by Hexagod and had over 100,000 downloads before it was removed. Google cited violations of its "Webviews and Affiliate Spam policy" as the reason for taking the app down.

Specifically, Google claimed the app was in violation of the rules because its "primary purpose is to drive affiliate traffic to a website or provide a webview of a website without permission from the website owner or administrator."

But BitChute has disputed this characterization and tweeted: "Contrary to the message below there was never any affiliate deal and permission was given."