[jeroenhd]

The owner of the app, Whitespace, is listed on Google as having their headquarters in St Petersburg. Could it be related to this: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...? Google has suspended payments to Russia as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the many sanctions results from that (like kicking many Russian banks from the international payment system).

Whitescape also lists a location in Estonia, which obviously isn't a problem, but if Google doesn't know about that (or thinks you're misleading them) then you might still be screwed.

[igordebatur]

The app was published many years ago by Whitescape, the agency we owned at that point. I was born in Russia 35+ years ago. But now I'm the resident of Canada. Google has never asked me about this.

But even that must not be the case: since then the Google Play account and it's payment profile are associated with Riders app Inc (the US Delaware c-corp) and our new bank account is with Mercury (Evolve bank and Trust)

[mike_d]

The owner of the app is a company with a Russian nexus. Do you have a formal asset transfer agreement that moved the ownership of the app and all related assets to your Delaware corporation? Did the original company receive anything of value in exchange for all the assets? Can that agreement be independently verified?

These are the things I would personally look for in an investigation to determine if "Riders app Inc" was a corporation of convenience or the actual owner of the app.

[igordebatur]

Yes, we've transferred the ownership and it's obvious in the Google Play's dashboard, I triple checked. All the IP's belong to Riders App Inc, the domain etc. The company is properly structured.

[mike_d]

So respond back to Google with the wire receipts where you paid Whitescape for the app and divested yourself of any ownership in that entity.

[igordebatur]

How's so? The problem lasts from 2 months ago. The original issue couldn't be about any ties with Russia.

I'll still try to do that ^ but not sure if this could help.

[mdoms]

Ok so it's very clear that you've been rightly caught up in Russian sanctions. Your recourse is to put pressure on the Russian government of which you are a citizen.

[smeej]

Yes, please, try to oust your...dictator.

Oh wait. That's not how it works? You mean the tyrant who's invading another country doesn't give a rat's behind about the opinions of the citizens of the country he already controls?

Weird.

</s>

Edit: typo

[mdoms]

He can't single-handedly oust a dictator, obviously. But sanctions have collateral damage and that's very much intentional. Lots of people who are actually in Russia are having a much, much harder time than OP right now.

[ahelwer]

My sincere wish is that you are someday held to the moral standard you currently apply to Russian citizens. I suspect you would not enjoy that day.

[asats]

My opinion of the HN and the whole startup / silicon valley crowd got significantly worse because of the predominance of people like mdoms here on HN. Clueless, entitled and often bordering on being straight up evil with their "good intentions". "Just go back to your country and overthrow your dictator, aren't you a citizen" somehow seems to be a common line of thinking here.

[igordebatur]

asats, I wish for more people to understand that there are shades between black and white, who're looking to hear arguments before making quick decisions. But it doesn't seem their percentage is much different in other communities than silicon valley / HN, it seems like a major problem attached to humanity itself. I hope for this to change while I'm alive and sane though. Would be cool to see.

[igordebatur]

The issue is not a result of sanctions: it has started much earlier. Thank you for bringing this as a potential reason and I think I understand why you're trying to kind of activate people who're not standing against the regime and the war. But this is not my case: I'm also against the regime and the war, I do what I can to support my Ukrainian teammates and friends, all of my teammates and friends do the same.

But again, this isn't the topic of this discussion. But thanks.

[igordebatur]

Nope: I'm not a resident of Russia, neither other shareholders. This is not the case. And the problem is ongoing for 2 months+.

I understand the willingness to bring this, but currently this is not the case.

[mdoms]

Have you renounced your Russian citizenship?

[igordebatur]

This requires getting another citizenship and it takes time. I'm waiting.

[jacquesm]

For Canada: good luck. I gave up after a couple of years of waiting with endless promises that it would soon be resolved, it felt like building on quicksand.

[temp8964]

But you are a citizen of Russia? Do you pay tax to Russia?

[vmception]

You can count on one hand the number of countries that tax their citizens who earn outside of their country.

[cute_boi]

I personally think its egregious to tax people when they aren't using any resource from the country where they don't live. Tax is mainly collected for development of nation, at least that's what government says.

[igordebatur]

No I don't pay tax to Russia, I happily stopped when I moved to Canada.

[mardifoufs]

He said this started 2 months ago. I don't think google started sanctioning Russia 1 month before the invasion...