Due to the US government’s ban, Google removed Kaspersky applications from Google Play, Kaspersky announced

mobile phones, 07.10.2024, 13:30 PM

Over the weekend, Google removed Kaspersky apps for Android from the Google Play Store and shut down the Russian company’s developer account.

Over the past week, users have reported that Kaspersky products (Kaspersky Endpoint Security and VPN & Antivirus) are no longer available on Google Play in the United States and other regions of the world.

Kaspersky confirmed the issue on the company’s official forums yesterday and said it was investigating why the company’s software was no longer available on Google’s app store.

Today, the company released a statement on its blog stating that the Google Play Store has notified the company that the developer’s account has been terminated and the apps have been removed from the store.

The company said Google’s decision is related to the US government’s recent decision to restrict the distribution and sale of Kaspersky products in the United States after September 29. “Although these restrictions have no legal effect outside the US, Google has unilaterally decided to remove our products from Google Play before September 29, denying users around the world access to industry-leading cybersecurity protections,” the statement said.

“We believe that Google’s decision is based on an exaggerated interpretation of the US restrictions, which is not supported by confirmation from the US Department of Commerce. US restrictive measures do not prohibit the sale and distribution of Kaspersky products and services outside the United States. We have conveyed this to the US Department of Commerce and hope to receive additional guidance from the department soon.”

The company explained that apps installed from Google Play will continue to work normally and will receive database updates through the cloud infrastructure. All paid app features will also continue to work.

“Unfortunately, you will not be able to update or reinstall the app directly from Google Play,” the company said.

Kaspersky advised users to install apps from alternative app stores, such as the Galaxy Store, Huawei AppGallery, Xiaomi GetApps and others, or directly from the company’s website. On support page you can find more information on how to install and activate Kaspersky software on Android devices.

Kaspersky announced in July that it would cease operations in the United States after the US government in June sanctioned the company and 12 executives and banned Kaspersky antivirus software citing national security concerns.

Google confirmed that this US government ban led to the decision to block Kaspersky and their products from the Google Play Store.

Photo: Pathum Danthanarayana | Unsplash