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EA Blocks 'Origin' Access In Six Countries, Citing US Embargoes (pcgamer.com)
An anonymous reader writes: "In compliance with US embargoes and sanctions laws, Origin is not available in Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine (Crimea region)," a community manager from EA posted in September. Engadget calls it "a reminder of the risks you take when buying copy-protected game downloads... Even if you started your account elsewhere, you aren't allowed to either visit the Origin store or use any of your purchased games."
Sunday an employee at EA's Origin game store commented "This isn't an EA-specific issue -- it's an issue that impacts all companies offering services that are covered by trade embargoes." But since the U.S. lifted sanctions on Myanmar in September, EA "is internally reviewing the situation... It's unclear to me whether we can do anything for residents of other countries that are still similarly embargoed, but I'll bring the topic up for discussion internally."
Sunday an employee at EA's Origin game store commented "This isn't an EA-specific issue -- it's an issue that impacts all companies offering services that are covered by trade embargoes." But since the U.S. lifted sanctions on Myanmar in September, EA "is internally reviewing the situation... It's unclear to me whether we can do anything for residents of other countries that are still similarly embargoed, but I'll bring the topic up for discussion internally."
You probably weren't alive during the Cuban revolution, but the reason the US enacted an embargo against Cuba was not for ideological reasons, but for economic reasons. The revolution seized *billions* of US capital and have claimed it as state property ever since. As proof the embargo is not ideological, reference US relations with Saudi Arabia, Viet Nam, Qatar, and any number of *highly* oppressive regimes.
The US doesn't care about the human condition -- it cares about money, and that's why the embargo is being lifted.