Google is now preventing Russian users and developers from downloading or updating paid apps from the Google play store from Thursday due to the need to fulfill their legal obligations under the sanctions decree In an update to its support website, the company said: "as part of our compliance efforts, Google play will prevent downloading and updating paid apps in Russia from May 5, 2022."
Russian developers can still publish and update free apps, and users can still download them from the store. However, according to the new changes, updates to all paid applications will be automatically blocked for compliance reasons.
Although users can no longer pay for the subscription, Google suggests that developers can give subscription billing grace period and free trial. They can also choose to postpone the renewal for up to one year to allow users to continue to access the content, and users will not be charged during this postponement period.
"If you like, you can choose to provide your application for free or delete your paid subscription during this suspension," Google suggested in the case of applications that provide key services, which can ensure the security of users or provide them with information access.
Due to sanctions, Google suspended its Google play billing system in Russia for the first time on March 10, preventing local users from buying apps and games, paying subscriptions or any in app purchases.
On March 23, roskomnadzor, Russia's telecommunications regulator, banned alpha's news aggregation service Google News from running in the country and blocked access to news in communications google. COM, which explained that it provided "unreliable information" about the continuing war in Ukraine.
Roskomnadzor also asked Google to stop advertising the "wrong message" about Russia's invasion of Ukraine in YouTube Videos. In response, Google took relevant actions. At the request of the European Union, it blocked the YouTube channels of Russia's state-run media today Russia (RT) and satellite news agency for Europe.
In early March, at the request of the attorney general's office, Russian regulators banned users from accessing instagram after blocking Facebook and twitter social networks for a week.