The official Android app for Kaspersky antivirus has been removed from the Google Play app store in the latest blow to the company that two decades ago ruled with an iron fist. Bleeping Computer notes that the move seems to have occurred over the weekend, with Kaspersky’s developer accounts also deactivated and removed following a recent ban by the United States government. “The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security recently announced a series of restrictions on Kaspersky. As a result, we have removed Kaspersky’s apps from Google […]
The official Android app for Kaspersky antivirus has been removed from the Google Play app store in the latest blow to the company that two decades ago ruled with an iron fist.
Bleeping Computer notes that the move seems to have occurred over the weekend, with Kaspersky’s developer accounts also deactivated and removed following a recent ban by the United States government.
“The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security recently announced a series of restrictions on Kaspersky. As a result, we have removed Kaspersky’s applications from Google Play,” said a Google spokesperson.
The app has disappeared from the Play Store but remains in third-party stores
In a post on its official forums, Kaspersky said it was aware of the issue, and that it was investigating why its software is no longer available on the Google app store.
“Kaspersky is currently investigating the circumstances behind the issue and exploring possible solutions to ensure that users of its products can continue downloading and updating their applications from Google Play,” they posted on social media.
The company said that users could still download their apps from alternative app stores, such as Galaxy Store, Huawei AppGallery, and Xiaomi GetApps, or install the apps by downloading the .apk installation file from the Kaspersky website.
This measure is the latest issue facing the security giant, which in recent months has had to deal with U.S. sanctions for national security reasons.
The U.S. has long maintained that Kaspersky software is at risk of being manipulated by the Russian government to deliver secrets and control computers, and ordered a total ban on the sale of its products at the beginning of 2024.
The Russian company was included in the United States Entity List, which includes “foreign individuals, companies, and organizations considered a national security concern,” with the prohibition of selling Kaspersky products starting from July 20, 2024.
This was followed by another controversy in September 2024, when Kaspersky customers in the United States saw how their antivirus software was replaced without prior notice by a new solution called UltraAV.
Author: Chema Carvajal Sarabia
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