Another blow for Russian users. The owners of smartphones
and tablets
of the Motherland will no longer be able to make purchases on the Play store
.
Given the restrictions on payment systems, Google announced the suspension of paid applications and subscriptions in Russia.
Play Store purchases suspended in Russia
International sanctions against Russia will affect the Play Store. After the App Store disabled in-app purchases, it’s Google’s online store’s turn to do the same. In a press release for developers published on Wednesday March 9, the Mountain View company explained that it would suspend transactions made from the Russian versions of the Play Store and YouTube in the coming days.
This announcement applies to in-app purchases as well as games, subscriptions and in-app purchases. However, free applications and content will not be affected. In the absence of payment, the current subscriptions of Russian users will be canceled at the end of the corresponding billing periods. Google offers two solutions to developers to overcome this problem: make the applications concerned free or postpone the renewal of subscribers.
Unlike other companies, Google’s decision seems more driven by the measures inflicted on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine than by any political will. The American giant indeed invokes “ payment system disruptions to justify this blocking, probably referring to the cessation of Visa and Mastercard operations in the country.
Source: AndroidPolice
6