Kaspersky drama continues: Google kicks Kaspersky out of Play Store
The U.S. ban on Kaspersky’s software has now gone global, with the manufacturer’s products now missing in action not just in America.
Now Google has given Kaspersky the boot from its Play Store after the U.S. government decided the antivirus giant wasn’t welcome at their party anymore. The U.S. ban on Kaspersky’s software has gone global, with the manufacturer’s products now missing in action not just in America, but even in places like Europe, where Kaspersky fans are left scratching their heads.
Google Says Goodbye
Over at Kaspersky HQ, the official line is, Don’t worry, it's just a phase. According to a Kaspersky company employee, the apps have gone on an unplanned vacation and are only "temporarily unavailable". *# The tech team is reportedly working around the clock (or maybe just taking a long lunch) to get the apps back in the Play Store, promising to fix things soon and apologizing for any chaos caused.
Google, however, isn’t making any promises so far. They’ve confirmed to U.S. media that they’ve yeeted Kaspersky from the Play Store, following the U.S. Department of Commerce’s new restrictions on the company. Kaspersky suggests you can still find their apps elsewhere, like the Samsung Galaxy Store, Huawei’s AppGallery, or even Xiaomi’s GetApps.
Kaspersky to Google: Why?
In a statement that practically screamed "We didn’t sign up for this," Kaspersky explained that while the U.S. ban was aimed at U.S. markets, Google went rogue and decided to pull their apps worldwide. "Google unilaterally pulled the plug on us before September 29, even though this ban wasn’t supposed to affect users outside the U.S.," Kaspersky huffed, noting that they’re hoping for a little clarity from the U.S. Department of Commerce soon.
How is Apple doing?
So far, Apple seems to be taking a much more laid-back approach. Kaspersky apps, including their antivirus and VPN, are still up and running outside the U.S..
In the meantime, Kaspersky is retreating from the U.S. market altogether. American users have already been switched over to UltraAV, a different antivirus solution by Pango, without so much as a courtesy email.
So, for now, the Kaspersky drama continues. Stay tuned!
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