We're generally happy to report when Google expands Play Store availability to a new region, whether it's access to books, movies, or apps. In this particular case, the news tastes a little bitter. Google has opened up the Play Store to Cuba, offering residents a chance to download free apps. It's just too bad most won't be able to step inside and shop.

The thing is, the Internet is heavily censored through the island. To make matters worse, infrastructure is, to put it nicely, lacking. The majority of people don't have regular access to the Internet or a smartphone. This means only a few folks will actually get to enjoy, or even be aware of, this expansion. A number of them are probably Cuban government officials.

Americans aren't quick to sell goods to Cuba, given that an embargo has discouraged such activity for decades now. Google is only opening up free apps to the country, not paid ones. It's also providing access to a free version Google Analytics. The company is not allowed to monetize its efforts there.

So while it's nice to see that the Play Store is now open to more people, the door is only slightly ajar. People can slip through single file if they want, but there's a big scary dude by the entrance, and the building is so far back from the road that most people don't ever know it's there.

Source: Google support