The US plans to ban Russian-made Kaspersky antivirus software due to alleged Kremlin links, citing risks to US infrastructure and services. Kaspersky denies allegations and plans to challenge the ban.
Bollywood Fever: The United States has announced plans to ban the sale of antivirus software made by the Russian firm Kaspersky due to its alleged links to the Kremlin. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated on Thursday that Moscow’s influence over the company poses a significant risk to US infrastructure and services.
Raimondo emphasized that the US had to take action because of Russia’s “capacity and… intent to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans.” As a result, Kaspersky will no longer be able to sell its software within the United States or provide updates to software already in use, according to the Commerce Department.
Kaspersky has responded by denying any activity that threatens US security and intends to pursue “all legally available options” to fight the ban. The move uses broad powers established by the Trump administration to ban or restrict transactions between US firms and tech companies from “foreign adversary” nations like Russia and China.
Starting September 29, the ban will effectively bar downloads of software updates, resales, and licensing of the product. New business transactions will be restricted within 30 days of the announcement. Sellers and resellers who violate these restrictions will face fines from the Commerce Department.
Additionally, the Commerce Department will list two Russian and one UK-based unit of Kaspersky for allegedly cooperating with Russian military intelligence. The company has long been under scrutiny by US regulators; in 2017, the Department of Homeland Security banned Kaspersky’s flagship antivirus product from federal networks due to alleged ties to Russian intelligence.
Although Kaspersky is headquartered in Moscow, it operates in 31 countries, servicing over 400 million users and 270,000 corporate clients in more than 200 countries. The number of US customers affected by the ban remains classified business data, but a Commerce Department official told Reuters that it is a “significant number” and includes state and local governments as well as companies that supply telecommunications, power, and healthcare services.
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