Google Play Store just paused payments for those in Russia, but not for the reason you think
Google customers in Russia will soon stop receiving access to paid services on both the Play Store and YouTube. That’s because payments will be paused in the country on the Play Store, and users of services there won’t be able to buy new apps or games, make payments for existing subscriptions, or use in-app purchases. This is due torecent restrictionsfollowing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As spotted by Mishaal Rahman, Googlehas notified developersthat these restrictions are imminent and will be rolled out “in the coming days.” Google says this is due to “payment system disruption,” which likely refers to banking restrictions from the US government (among others) that have been imposed over the last couple of weeks. Visa and Mastercard suspending Russian operations are possibly another factor making payment processing harder for international businesses.
YouTube also released a similar statement for its own services noting, “we’re now extending this pause to all our monetization features, including YouTube Premium, Channel Memberships, Super Chat and Merchandise, for viewers in Russia.” YouTube channels in Russia will still be able to continue producing content and making money from viewers outside of the country.
Free apps on the Google Play Store will remain available to those in Russia, just like any apps that have previously been purchased before the payment system disruption. It’s currently unclear how long these restrictions will be in place and there’s no sign of the war in Ukraine coming to an end, so it may be in place for a while longer. Other elements of Alphabet’s business have brought in changes since the war in Ukraine began. For example,Google Maps has restrictedall contributions from users in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus after it was believed the Russian military may be able to harness user-submitted data to plan attacks in the country.
Thanks:Martin
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