Due to sanctions, Google has begun barring Russian users and developers from installing or updating paid applications from the Google Play Store as of Thursday.
“As part of our compliance efforts, Google Play will begin barring paid app downloads and updates in Russia on May 5, 2022,” the company said in a statement on its support website.
Users can still download free apps from the store, and Russian developers can still publish and update them.
According to the new regulations, all upgrades to premium apps will be automatically prohibited for compliance concerns.
While customers can no longer pay for subscriptions, Google recommended that developers give “subscription billing grace periods and any free trials” to developers.
They can also postpone renewals for up to a year, allowing users to continue using the material without being charged during that time.
In the event of apps that provide vital services such as keeping users safe or providing access to information, Google stated, “You can choose to offer your app for free or cancel your paid membership during this suspension.”
Last month, the billing system was halted.
Due to sanctions, Google halted its Google Play billing system in Russia on March 10, preventing users from purchasing apps and games, paying for subscriptions, or making any in-app purchases.
On March 23, Russia stopped access to news.google.com and banned Alphabet’s news aggregation service Google News for disseminating “unreliable information” about the current conflict in Ukraine.
The Russian telecoms regulator, Roskomnadzor, has also requested Google to stop running ads in YouTube videos that propagate false information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In response, Google took action against Russian invading misinformation activities, barring the YouTube channels of Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik in Europe at the request of the European Union.
Following the demands of the Prosecutor General Office, Russia blocked Instagram in early March, one week after blocking Facebook and Twitter.
