Google Suspends Sales on YouTube and Play Store in Russia
- 14/03/2022
![](/images/uploads/blog/82/google-suspends-sales-on-youtube-and-play-store-in-russiad51b.png)
Unlike China, Russia still has access to Google, Gmail, and other services by Google. But only to free ones. As for paid subscriptions and apps, they are no more available. That’s how Google reacts to the Russian aggressive war in Ukraine. Though it seems like half-measures, indeed it hits the Russian economy.
The formal reason for this is restrictions laid upon commercial relationships with Russia by many countries, including the US. Recently it stopped selling advertising in Russia, on both Google and YouTube. And while many usual users may find this absence of ads even more comfortable, for businesses this may be a strong challenge.
These restrictions by Google also apply in regions formally or effectively occupied by Russia, including Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This measure also implies that refunds are virtually impossible. In case a user moves from a sanctioned region, they can apply for a refund, but reviewing the application may take a long time.
As for free apps, they remain available in Russia, as well as free services by Google. Previously bought apps remain available, and subscription-based services will function until the expiration date. At the same time, the Palo Alto corporation has removed Russian state propaganda apps Sputnik and RT Today from Play Market and their channels from YouTube in Europe, following the regulation of the European Union. The response from Russian authorities to such actions can be hostile, to nobody’s surprise.
Two days ago Roskomnadzor, the censorship unit of Russia, effectively banned Instagram, despite its extreme popularity in the country. This means that things can get harder between Russian authorities and Google. How far can it go? If you have some thoughts about this cyber battle, you can share them in our comments!
Latest Articles
-
Pushing the Limits: Teclab's Ultimate GeForce RTX 4090 SUPER Creation Unveiled The world of graphical processing is saturated with innovations and technological advancements, and Teclab has made waves with their latest creation. They have assembled a one-of-a-kind GeForce RTX 4090 SUPER GPU, leveraging binne...
- Editor's Choice
- Frederick Clark
- 17/07/2024
-
First Glimpse of BioShock 4 Leaked in Early Gameplay Screenshot A newly leaked screenshot has provided what could be our first glimpse at the highly anticipated BioShock 4, marking a significant milestone since the game's announcement. The screenshot surfaced online and was initially spott...
- News
- Delilah Turner
- 17/07/2024
-
Plunge into Lovecraftian Depths with "Feed The Deep," a New Roguelike from Fruit Ninja Creator One veteran mobile game designer is delving into the dangerous waters of solo development with a new PC roguelike that's riffing on one of the genre's greatest: Spelunky. You've probably played Fruit Ninja, ri...
- News
- Eleanor Wilson
- 17/07/2024