Google has just excluded Kaspersky antivirus from the Play Store

Google has just removed Kaspersky antivirus from the Play Store worldwide. Over the weekend, many Internet users realized that the Russian publisher’s application was no longer available for download from the Android app store. If you type in Kaspersky, you will come across competing solutions, like Avast or Eset. Kaspersky Endpoint Security and Kaspersky VPN & Antivirus are also gone. According to testimonies appearing on the Kaspersky forums, it has been a few weeks since the Play Store stopped delivering application updates.

Also read: “My smartphone listens to my conversations” – Kaspersky debunks the myth

Google confirms the disappearance of Kaspersky from the Play Store

Unsurprisingly, this ousting is linked to the ban on Kaspersky in the United States. At the beginning of the summer, the Joe Biden government bans Kaspersky from selling its software in the countryciting fears for American national security. The United States fears that the company, headquartered in Moscow, could collaborate with Russian intelligence services.

In the process, the American administration imposed sanctions against twelve of Kaspersky’s executives. With its back against the wall, the Russian group was forced to remove its anti-malware software from the computers of its customers across the United States. Without informing its customers, Kaspersky replaced by UltraAVa solution proposed by one of its partners. This is a very small Boston business with a small customer base. The American subsidiary of Kaspersky has also closed its doors. All employees were fired.

Contacted by Bleeping Computer, Google confirms that Kaspersky’s ouster from the Play Store is a direct result of the decision taken by Washington. The Mountain View giant recalls that “the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security recently announced several restrictions regarding Kaspersky”. This is why “we removed Kaspersky apps from Google Play”.

Kaspersky highlights alternatives

Kaspersky was quick to suggest workarounds to its users. The Moscow company points out that it is possible to download the Android version of its antivirus through alternative stores, such as the Galaxy Store, Huawei AppGallery and Xiaomi GetApps. To go through these stores, you obviously need to have a phone from one of the brands. Above all, Kaspersky emphasizes that it is possible to install its Android app by obtaining the APK (Android Package Kit) file directly from its website.

On its official forum, Kaspersky nevertheless specifies “explore potential solutions to ensure that users of its products can continue to download and update their apps from Google Play.” The company works to “restore the availability of Kaspersky solutions on Google Play”.

Mirroring the United States, several other countries also expressed concerns about Kaspersky’s products. Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany advised people to avoid using the antivirus. Italy subsequently opened an investigation into the matter. Like the United States, Canada has banned its civil servants to use Kaspersky tools on their professional devices.

To appease criticism of it, Kaspersky has taken many major measures in recent years. The company first opened access to the source code of all its software to prove that there is not a single back door. Above all, it transferred the processing of its customers’ data from Russia to Switzerland. Despite its transparency efforts, Kaspersky remains in the crosshairs of American authorities.