PayPal, Google Join Crimea Tech Exodus

It's a tough time to be tech savvy person in Crimea.

ByABC News
January 23, 2015, 2:30 PM
A logo sits on the PayPal company stand, a unit of Ebay Inc., during the Apps World Multi-Platform Developer Show in London, Oct. 23, 2013.
A logo sits on the PayPal company stand, a unit of Ebay Inc., during the Apps World Multi-Platform Developer Show in London, Oct. 23, 2013.
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg/Getty Images

— -- It's a tough time to be a tech savvy person in Crimea.

PayPal and Google are among the companies that are blocking certain services to the beleaguered peninsula, according to reports.

The move comes one month after the United States levied sanctions in retaliation for Russia's annexation of Crimea, as part of an ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

A PayPal spokesperson told ABC News the company strives to offer "uninterrupted service" in all of its 203 markets, however "we regret we cannot provide this high level of support to our customers in Crimea at this time."

"We regret any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to returning to the region once there are conditions for us to offer customers in Crimea uninterrupted service," the spokesperson said.

Several of Google's paid platforms, including AdSense and AdWords, have been cut off in parts of the region, according to reports from Russian media.

If reports are true that Google will shut down its Google Play store in Crimea effective Feb. 1, it would be a blow for a region where Android is the most prevalent mobile operating system.

Google did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment, however a spokesperson told TechCrunch that "Sanctions have recently been imposed on Crimea by the U.S. and the E.U. We are complying with them."

It was also reported earlier this week that developers in Crimea received a message from Apple letting them know their developer agreement was terminated "effectively immediately." Apple did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.