As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to unravel nearly three years on, Google, a titan in the tech world, has walked in step with the U.S. government, leveling sanctions against Russia. Recently, Google dropped a bombshell announcement, stating that starting December 26, 2024, it will indefinitely suspend all accounts belonging to local developers, while also putting a halt to all purchase transactions linked to Russian accounts. This bold move underscores the rising tensions and the global tech community’s strategic role in geopolitical disputes.
According to Google, developers will receive their final settlement on January 15, 2025, and revenues from already sold apps, games, and subscription services won’t be affected. However, new measures will deliver a major blow to Russian developers since they will no longer be able to monetize through Google Play. Future releases of apps or games won’t have paid versions available, and in-app purchases and subscriptions will be restricted. This change marks a significant challenge for those in the Russian app development scene.
The announcement stated that starting from December 26, Google will prohibit users from purchasing any paid apps developed by Russian developers, as well as disallow any in-app purchases or subscriptions. This restriction will significantly impact the business of local developers.
Although Google has not publicly detailed the reasons behind implementing these measures, it’s understood that due to sanctions on the Russian banking system, Google has struggled to find reliable means to process payments to local developers. Moreover, Google Play’s payment system is also unable to accept bank accounts tied to Russian users. In fact, as early as May 2022, roughly three months into the Russian invasion, Google had already ceased providing paid app downloads and updates for Russian users.
After losing the vital sales channel that is the Google Play Store, Russian developers, who rely on apps and games for their livelihood, might need to look for local alternatives, like the RuStore launched by VK. Reportedly, the local government has issued an order that all smartphones sold in the region must come pre-installed with RuStore, replacing the functionality of Google Play Store.
