Google restricts paid app downloads and updates for Russian users amid Ukraine war

In order to put pressure on the Russian Federation for its aggression in Ukraine, tech giant Google has blocked Russian users from downloading paid apps from the Google Play Store. The change came into effect on Thursday, 5 May 2022, as per media reports. These actions are said to be the part of US' "compliance measures" following numerous sanctions imposed on Russia. Google also prevented developers from releasing new paid apps or updating existing ones. Earlier on March 10, Google announced that Russian Android users will no longer be able to buy applications and games from the Play Store.

Developers could previously update their paid apps but with the most recent modification, that feature has been disabled. Existing user subscriptions will be valid until the end of the current paying cycle. Developers can then provide a grace period of up to 30 days. However, Google advises developers to remove paid subscriptions from their apps in Russia. The top paid applications and games in the Play Store in Russia have also been removed as part of this update. The "free" part of the Play Store, however, has remained unchanged.

Russian software companies working on alternative to Google Play

Meanwhile, Russian software companies are working on an alternative to Google Play, which they hope to debut on May 9, Victory Day, which is the country's national festival commemorating the World War II triumph.

Vladimir Zykov, head of projects at Digital Platforms, a digital development group stated that unfortunately, Russians can no longer buy apps on Google Play, and developers have lost a source of revenue and that is why they have established NashStore, a Russian app store. NashStore, which translates as "OurStore," would support Android mobile devices, according to media reports.

Google's $15 million pledge for Ukraine

Google previously pledged $15 million to help Ukraine's humanitarian operations. In a blog post, Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs at Google stated that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is both a tragedy and a humanitarian calamity in the making. 

Previously, Google put a stop to the monetisation of Russian state-funded media like RT across all of its platforms indefinitely.

(Image: AP/Unsplash)