Google officially removes Kaspersky antivirus software app from Play Store
The official Android app for Kaspersky antivirus software has been removed from the Google Play app store in the latest blow to the company.
BleepingComputer notes that the move appears to have taken place over the weekend, with Kaspersky’s developer accounts also disabled and deleted following a recent ban by the US government.
“The US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security recently announced several restrictions on Kaspersky. As a result, we have removed Kaspersky apps from Google Play,” a Google spokesperson said.
Kaspersky Android app removed
In a post on its official forums, Kaspersky said it was aware of the issue and was investigating why the software is no longer available in Google’s app store.
“The downloads and updates of Kaspersky products are temporarily unavailable in the Google Play Store,” a Kaspersky employee said.
“Kaspersky is currently investigating the circumstances behind the issue and exploring possible solutions to ensure that users of its products can continue to download and update their applications through Google Play.”
The company said users can still download its 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 Kaspersky’s website.
The move is the latest problem facing the security giant, which has faced mounting problems in recent months as it faces US sanctions over national security concerns. The US has long argued that Kaspersky software is at risk of being manipulated by the Russian government to transfer secrets and control of its computers, and previously ordered a complete ban on sales of its products in 2024.
The Russian company was added to the US Entity List, which includes “foreign individuals, companies and organizations considered to pose a national security concern,” with a ban on the sale of Kaspersky products from July 20, 2024.
Subsequent Kaspersky software updates also stopped from September 29, but the company did offer its customers free security products and safety tips for six months.
This was followed by further controversy in September 2024 when Kaspersky customers in the US found their antivirus software being replaced without warning by a new solution called UltraAV.
