Google Play has removed Russian apps VK (VKontakte), the Max messenger, and Odnoklassniki from its store. This decision is a direct result of sanctions imposed by the European Union against the VK holding and the associated developer company, Max.

Reasons for the ban: espionage accusations

The European Union justified its actions with serious security concerns. According to regulators, the Max messenger was developed under the control of the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB). Documents indicate that the application possesses features that could potentially be used to spy on users.

How does this affect users?

Representatives of VK reacted quickly to the situation, reassuring the audience. The holding stated that applications already installed on devices continue to operate normally without restrictions. Android users will still receive push notifications about messages, calls, and other important events.

However, the key change is that new downloads of these services via the official Google Play store are no longer available. To install updates or download the apps for the first time, users will have to find alternative methods.

Alternative installation methods

VK has pointed out the possibility of using other platforms to access its services. Applications can be downloaded via:

  • RuStore
  • Huawei AppGallery
  • Samsung Galaxy Store
  • Xiaomi GetApps

Context: a series of restrictions

The incident with Google Play is a continuation of a series of restrictions imposed on the VK ecosystem. Back in late June, Apple removed VK, Max, Odnoklassniki, Mail.ru, VK Music, VK Messenger, VK Video, and a number of other holding services from the App Store, also citing the introduction of European sanctions.

Political background

These technical restrictions are directly linked to political decisions in Brussels. On July 13, it was reported that the EU adopted new sanctions against Russia. The restrictions affected 11 Russian citizens and five companies, including Russian IT developers of surveillance systems for the FSB, as well as the leadership of the colony where Ukrainian prisoners were tortured.

It is worth noting that the process of sanction pressure does not always go smoothly. The European Union has still not agreed on the 21st package of sanctions against the aggressor country. According to the Financial Times, Greece prevented the approval of the new package, as Greek businesses would suffer from the restrictions.