Programs purchased through Marketplace for Mobile, which will launch on October 6 alongside the debut of Windows Mobile 6.5 and some new designer themes, will come with a remote kill switch that will allow Microsoft to retroactively remove an application or program from the phone should those applications be unapproved for Marketplace for Mobile at a later date.

While users must agree to the licensing and DRM schemes, including granting Microsoft this right, when agreeing to the EULA, or end user license agreement, the process raises some serious issues if activated, and can potentially damage the reputation of the Redmond, Washington software giant. Apple has received plenty of complaints about its convoluted app approval process and Amazon has profusely apologized for an Orwellian move in remotely wiping Animal Farm and refunding customers after it was purchased digitally for the Kindle. Microsoft’s activation of the kill switch would add another corporate culprit to the long list of consumer distaste of digital content management.

According to the latest leaks, the kill switch can be activated by Microsoft if an application was first approved to appear in Marketplace for Mobile, but later become unapproved. In comparison to the iPhone, apps that were first approved but later become unapproved would not be wiped remotely by Apple, at least not yet anyways. Windows Mobile users who use Marketplace for Mobile, you’ve been warned!

However, unlike the iPhone, which limits consumers to Apple’s only App Store for loading content–at least legally and without modification, Windows Phone users do have other means of purchasing programs for their Windows Mobile devices, including third-party application stores and via developers themselves. It remains to be seen whether consumers–and developers–will be forgiving should this covert process be used.

(via a news tip from Sean VanSickle and PPC Geeks)