Google removed Kaspersky’s Android security apps from the Google Play Store and the Russian company’s developer accounts over the weekend. This removal affects Kaspersky’s products, including Kaspersky Endpoint Security and VPN & Antivirus by Kaspersky, in the United States and other regions worldwide. Kaspersky confirmed the issue on the company’s official forums on Sunday and said it is currently investigating why its software is no longer available on Google’s app store.
“The downloads and updates of Kaspersky products are temporarily unavailable on the Google Play store,” a Kaspersky spokesperson said. “Kaspersky is currently investigating the circumstances behind the issue and exploring potential solutions to ensure that users of its products can continue downloading and updating their applications from Google Play.”
While the apps are unavailable, Kaspersky advised users to install them from alternative app stores, including the Galaxy Store, Huawei AppGallery, and Xiaomi GetApps.
Google removes Kaspersky apps
The company’s security apps can also be installed by downloading the .apk installation file from Kaspersky’s official website. This development comes after Kaspersky revealed in July its plans to shut down its United States operations following the U.S. government imposing restrictions on the company and 12 executives over national security concerns in June. In a statement earlier today, Google confirmed that these restrictions prompted the decision to block Kaspersky and its products on the Google Play store.
“The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security recently announced a variety of restrictions on Kaspersky. As a result, we have removed Kaspersky’s apps from Google Play,” a Google spokesperson said. In September, the Russian multinational cybersecurity company removed its anti-malware software from customers’ computers across the United States and replaced it with UltraAV’s antivirus solution without informing its customers or asking for permission.
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