Google signage seen at the company's headquarters in New YorkThrough Alexei Oreskovic SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Google Inc has eliminated an experimental privacy feature from its Android mobile instrument that had allowed users to block apps from gathering private knowledge such as address e book data and a user's region. The alternate signifies that house owners of smartphones the use of Android 4.four.2, the latest version of the arena's most popular working device for cell devices released this week, should present get right of entry to to their non-public knowledge with the intention to use certain apps. A company spokesman said the function had been integrated accidentally in Android 4.three, the version launched remaining summer season. "We are suspicious of this clarification, and do not think that it whatsoever justifies taking away the feature quite than bettering it," stated Peter Eckersley, technology projects director on the Electronic Frontier Groundwork.