Kaspersky Antivirus to withdraw services from US following ban

The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced a ban on the sale of Kaspersky products over Russian government ties.

Image via Kaspersky Lab
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PC users utilizing Kaspersky antivirus protections in the US will soon be forced to switch to a new product following a recent ban in the US. The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has announced a ban on the sale of Kaspersky Lab products in the United States over supposed ties to the Russian government and concerns over the collecting and weaponization of data from American users. Rather than fight the ban, Kaspersky has announced it will withdraw its services from the United States later this July.

The BIS announced its final determination on the banning of Kaspersky products in the US via a press release and statement from Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

Gina Raimondo, acting Secretary of Commerce in the Biden administration
Biden administration Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo called Kaspersky a threat to American users due to its ties to the Russian government and potential for data weaponization.
Source: AP Photo/Susan Walsh

A Kaspersky spokesperson recently shared a statement with the BBC, signaling the company’s intention to pull out of the United States and end sale of products and services in compliance with the ban.

“Starting from July 20, 2024 Kaspersky will gradually wind down its US operations and eliminate US-based positions,” the spokesperson told BBC.

Originally, at the time of the ban’s announcement, Kaspersky Lab had signaled that it would challenge the ban, moving to try to lift or circumvent it by any means available. It now seems that will not be the case. With the July 20 date set for the deadline on sales and services, users have a short time to prepare new options for their antivirus needs. Stay tuned as we continue to follow this story and other cybersecurity topics for further updates and information.

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

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