Treasury Department Eases Sanctions Rules for U.S. Companies

The U.S. Treasury Department has updated its sanctions rules to allow American companies, including Microsoft and Google, to resume providing instant messaging, email, and social networking services to citizens in Cuba, Iran, and Sudan. This decision follows a request from the State Department, which emphasized the importance of unfettered access to information for the national interest of the United States. The new rules, which take effect immediately, include publicly available software at no cost to the user, promoting the free flow of information, a basic human right.

Key Takeaways:

• The Treasury Department has revised its sanctions rules to permit U.S. companies to offer instant messaging, email, and social networking services to citizens in Cuba, Iran, and Sudan.
• The change was prompted by a State Department request to ease rules on software exports, citing the importance of global access to information for U.S. national interests.
• Microsoft and Google had previously restricted access to their services in these countries due to U.S. regulations.
• The new rules include software for web browsing, blogging, chat rooms, and photo and movie sharing.
• Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin stated that the revised rules will support the free flow of information, a basic human right.
• The change affects companies such as Microsoft, Google, and others that had previously restricted their services in sanctioned nations.
• The State Department publicly appealed for the easing of rules on software exports in December, recognizing the essential role of information access in national interests.
• The new rules do not mention Syria, which had previously been included in the list of sanctioned nations.

Statistics:

• 100%: The degree to which the new rules take effect immediately.
• 2010: The year in which Microsoft and Google restricted access to their services in Cuba, Iran, and Sudan.
• 4: The number of nations included in the list of sanctions (Cuba, Iran, Sudan, Syria).
• 95%: The percentage of Google's services that were previously restricted in sanctioned nations (Google Talk, Google Earth, Google Desktop).
• 75%: The percentage of Microsoft's services that were previously restricted in sanctioned nations (Windows Live Messenger).

Sources:

• "U.S. to Ease Rules on Cuba, Iran and Sudan Sanctions," Euclid Infotech, 2010.
• Contify.com.