Breaking: Binance App Removed from Google Play Store Philippines Amid SEC Crackdown

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The mobile app for international cryptocurrency exchange Binance is no longer available for download on the Google Play Store for users in the Philippines.

Binance App Missing in Google Play Store

A search for “Binance” on the Philippine version of the app marketplace now yields results for local competitor Coins.ph, as well as region-specific versions of the Binance app intended for other jurisdictions, such as Binance TH (Thailand) and Binance TR (Turkey). The main global exchange application, previously available to Filipino users, is notably absent from the search results.

Also appearing in the search results is an app titled “Binance Junior – Crypto Teens,” but the primary trading platform remains inaccessible for new downloads.

Tightening Digital Blockade

The removal of the app from the Google Play Store aligns with the ongoing enforcement measures led by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

In 2024, the SEC formally requested Google and Apple to remove the Binance app from their respective Philippine marketplaces. The commission cited the exchange’s lack of a necessary license to sell or offer securities to the public, a violation of the Securities Regulation Code.

This app store removal prevents new users from downloading the platform and might restrict existing users from receiving official updates through the standard Play Store mechanism.

Website Access Issues Persist

Concurrent with the app’s removal, users attempting to access Binance through web browsers are encountering severe connectivity errors, as the website remains blocked in the Philippines.

• Screenshots obtained by BitPinas show that attempts to visit the main website result in a “Privacy Error” (NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID), which typically indicates a certificate mismatch often seen when an internet service provider intercepts a connection to redirect it.
• Other users reported encountering a “Site can’t be reached” message with the error code DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN when attempting to access accounts.binance.com. This error suggests that the domain name is no longer resolving correctly through the user’s internet service provider, effectively severing the connection to the exchange’s servers.

Regulatory Background

The Philippine government began its crackdown on unlicensed offshore exchanges in late 2023. The SEC issued an initial advisory against Binance in November 2023, warning the public that the platform was not authorized to operate in the country.

Following the expiration of a three-month grace period, the SEC requested the NTC to block access to Binance’s website and associated web pages. The recent removal of the app from the Google Play Store marks the latest step in limiting the platform’s footprint in the country.

At the time of reporting, the Binance app remains unavailable on the Philippine Google Play Store, and web access remains restricted across multiple local internet service providers.

SEC has also moved to block more crypto exchanges in the Philippines last year.

This article is published on BitPinas: Breaking: Binance App Removed from Google Play Store in the Philippines

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