As the Russian Ruble continues to decline in currency exchange markets, and as more piling-upped sanctions are imposed on Russia, more companies and corporations are pulling out of Russia not only because they do not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but also because they need to comply with the local and international sanctions in tangent with the heavy devaluation of the Russian Ruble which leads to lesser profits for the multinational corporations.
In late February, Google had earlier announced that it will be cutting down on advertisements and media from the Russian Federation as a response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. However, this week, the company has taken further action on the ongoing situation as the company has paused the Google Play Store’s billing system for Android users in Russia.
In the official statement from Google, the company states that due to payment system disruptions, Google Play has paused its billing system for users in Russia as of March 10, 2022. Google clarified that this means users cannot purchase apps and games, make subscription payments or conduct any in-app purchases of digital goods via the Google Play Store in Russia. Free apps will remain available on the Play Store to download and install.
As for existing user subscriptions via the Google Play Store, Google informs that subscriptions will unfortunately not be able to be renewed and will be cancelled. However, the existing subscription(ie the 1-month or 1-year subscription that the Russian Android user had purchased prior to this announcement) will continue until the end of the then-current billing period. The company also clarifies that it will still honour existing developer subscription billing grace periods and any free trials will continue to work until payments are attempted.
On a closing note, Google also states that the situation is rapidly evolving and that the company encourages users to follow Google for Google’s latest update on the matter if there are changes of action.
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