Google suspends operations in Russia amid Ukraine war, cites payment disruption as reason

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, tech giant Google has joined a list of companies by deciding to withdraw all its operations in Moscow. On Wednesday, Google informed Android developers that Play Store users in Russia will soon lose the ability to purchase apps, games, IAPs, and subscriptions. The firm also confirmed that "payment system disruption" is the major reason it's "pausing" Google Play billing in the coming days. The development comes at a time when Russia has been heavily sanctioned by multiple countries over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

It is pertinent to mention here that following Google's announcement, people in Russia will no longer be able to make subscription payments or in-app purchases of digital goods using Google Pay in Moscow. However, all the free applications will remain available to download, alongside any past purchases. According to Google, the company has made no other changes to the Google Play Store's availability in Russia, and developers can still publish and update applications as before.

Meanwhile, subscriptions will continue until the end of the current billing period, but later on, they will be cancelled owing to a lack of a digital payment system in the country. This means that users will not be able to renew their existing services post expiry. "The subscription renewal date will be updated to reflect the new date," read the statement issued by Google." Meanwhile, another possibility offered by Google could be making applications free or removing paid subscriptions "during this pause."

Russia Ukraine war: Google Play app store operation suspended in Russia

As Russian aggression continues unabated, big enterprises including PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Starbucks, Samsung, and Netflix, alongside various other US-based entities, have joined the growing list of companies withdrawing or suspending operations in Russia. Meanwhile, tech giants like Apple, Google, and Meta have also announced suspensions or withdrawals of services in Russia. Earlier, Apple voiced concern for Ukrainians and stated that the company stands with war-struck Ukraine, restricted Apple Pay services in Russia, and removed state media like RT News and Sputnik News from the App Store outside Russia. Both Oracle and SAP have also suspended all operations in Russia, while, companies like Intel, AMD, and TSMC have also stopped all operations in Russia.

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