Is there any way to stop Google removing apps from the phone? Back before Android had gone mainstream, there was an incident where Google removed an app using a feature called Remote Application Removal.

This potentially allows Google to start removing political or anti-authority apps although I'm aware they have so far only used it to remove malware.

Still, I don't trust Google or any other corporation very much and would rather do everything I can to keep them out of my phone.

I already use CyanogenMod 9 (latest nightly 2012-06-21) but since I use the Market/Play it is kind of beside the point.

Is there a way to hack the Market/Play app so that it can't delete apps from the phone without specific authorization from the user?

Alternately, is there a way to set up per-app permissions in CM9 so I can prevent the Market/Play app from deleting anything?

http://android-developers.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/exercising-our-remote-application.html

http://phandroid.com/2010/06/24/google-can-remotely-remove-apps-from-your-phone/
Hacking the Play app is probably no feasible option. And as Matthew Read suggests, as a system app, it can do what it wants.

The only other options I can think off is using an alternative Android app market.
You can find some here: http://www.howtogeek.com/106175/the-top-5-alternatives-to-the-android-market/