Microsoft Not the Only Firm Blocking IM Service To US Enemies

ericatcw writes "It was reported last week that Microsoft had cut access to its Windows Live Messenger instant messaging service to citizens of five countries with whom the US has trade embargoes. Now, it turns out that Google and, apparently, AOL have taken similar actions. According to a lawyer quoted by Computerworld, even free, downloaded apps are viewed as 'exports' by the US government — meaning totally in-the-cloud services such as e-mail may escape the rules. Either way, there appear to be a number of ways determined citizens of Syria, Iran, and Cuba can get around the ban."

Comments

OK With Me

[ElDuque]

That's the point, isn't it? Hopefully citizens in those countries will wish that they weren't embargoed and put pressure on their government to change.

I understand that not everyplace has a representative democracy with regular, free elections like the US, but except for the worst dictatorships that rule by force, the government must remain popular with the people!

Re:"U.S. Enemies"?

[RiotingPacifist]

It is an acknowledged fact that Cemal Gürsel wanted to corrupt the Soviet way of life by letting John Fitzgerald Kenedy install nuclear rockets in Turkey
Luckily Khrushchev defused that threat successfully