There has been a lot of concerning news regarding the Google Play Store and its availability in Pakistan. In the morning, it was believed that the Play Store services may be suspended in Pakistan from 1st December, but a clarification has been finally given.
First, this issue is not just with the Play Store but also with the Apple App Store. Users will face hindrances as they try to use mobile payment as their main source for in-app and app purchases in Play Store as well as Apple App Store.
What Happened in the Morning?
The news was circulating that the State Bank of Pakistan had suspended $34 million in payments to international service providers that also included Google Play Store. The decision came with the direction of Direct Carrier Billing by Telcos.
The news spread like wildfire by local media outlets that Google will suspend all of its services in Pakistan on 1st December 2022 because of the decision taken by the State Bank of Pakistan. However, that news wasn’t true. In fact, no services are being suspended at all.
Consumers will be able to download apps and make payments as well, they would just not be able to use Google Play Store credit anymore. they will have to use their credit cards or debit cards to do so. The Direct Carrier Billing system was introduced to avoid this for international digital payments because a dedicated international digital payment method does not exist in Pakistan anymore.
Senior Information and Communication Technology regulatory expert Aslam Hayat said, “By linking direct carrier billing with the Google Play store, freelancers are also able to pay for some tools and apps for doing their assignments.”
He further said, “Any move with regards to the blocking of payments under DCB is not only going to impact the data usage of the telcos in case of gaming and entertainment apps but also will have a negative impact on the freelancers.”
At the moment, a total of $60 million is sent in payments on an annual basis, so this is a big blow.
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