The blockade of a new type
In 1997, US President Bill Clinton signed a decree that banned the export to Iran of “any goods, technology or services.” While the Internet and electronic communications have not been widely distributed, and Clinton can hardly imagine that the classical embargo will soon turn to Iran blockade of a new type – “e-blockade».
On Friday, December 19, US President Barack Obama, using exactly the same wording as the Clinton 17 years ago, his decree introduced almost complete embargo on the Crimea. But now the consequences of this decision more clear: one of them could be blocking on the peninsula of the usual services such as Gmail or Skype, closing access to the popular American software – Firefox, Google Chrome, or Java.
Obama’s decree “On blocking property of certain persons and the prohibition of certain transactions in respect of the Crimean region of Ukraine “prohibits” the export, re-export, sale or supply, directly or indirectly, of any goods, services or technology from the United States or a person of the United States, wherever it was, in the Crimea region of Ukraine. ” The embargo implies not only a ban on the supply to the Crimea US goods (that and so do not go there directly), but also a ban on access Crimean residents to Internet services and widespread programs and applications – even if they are free.
The US Treasury issued a general license authorizing the export of medicines to the Crimea and agricultural commodities (the same “humanitarian” exception introduced for Iran). But there is no mention in the license online services, communication services or software.
No comments
From the “Crimean” Obama really should decree that the embargo applies and Internet services, the company confirms Washington lawyer Bryan Cave Cliff Burns specializing in export control and sanctions: “The fact that services like Gmail are free of charge, does not change anything.” Burns said it is “somewhat surprising” given that all other sanctions of the US program, including Iran, allow exceptions in the form of free access to the civilian population of Internet services and communications applications. Technically Google and other companies will enforce the embargo Crimean lawyer does not know.
Now, by law, US companies are obliged to deny access to all of the above categories of services and software in the Crimea, if the user tries to download a product or register . If the product is delivered to the Crimea to bypass sanctions and the manufacturer is aware of this, it may take measures to prevent the use of the product, for example, Apple may not allow to activate the iPhone on the territory of Crimea, says Washington lawyer, who asked to remain anonymous.
Obama explained that decreed the Crimean embargo “to explain to American companies how to act in the region,” says CEO “Information Law” Alexander Fear. However, he complains, there are more questions than answers, and it is difficult to say exactly how the US Internet companies to act in the Crimea. They may have to enter some internal lock on the basis of user IP-address. Now companies are guided by the data provided by the users. On the Online Habrahabr.ru, for example, a story about the event lock Crimean resident Rodion Vlasov on the American Stock Exchange remote developers Odesk.com: a questionnaire on the service, it was stated that Vlasov live in Crimea. To unlock the account requires confirmation that the Vlasov resides outside the territory of Crimea.
In the development environment, one of the most popular programming languages in the Java world, it is possible that you will not be able to update the code – the system generates an error. “You are in a country covered by the embargo. Download Java impossible “- a message received by inhabitants of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria while trying to update the code Java.
Java belongs to the American Oracle, a company representative in Russia found it difficult to say something about the ability to disable the Crimea updates from the medium and of other programs. In the Russian office of Microsoft said that sanctions do not comment. A company source familiar with the situation said that the corporation is under the jurisdiction of the United States and forced to comply with the orders of the authorities. According to him, how to enforce the embargo, the company has not yet know: “It is clear that if a resident of the Crimea on the computer stands Windows, no one will come to him with a gun and not force uninstall. But the paid version of the software on the peninsula now will not be sold. ” In the Apple embargo also n e comment. Google and Odesk.com did not respond to requests for RBC.
IT hole will
Prevent install software on computers located in the Crimea is technically very difficult, but on the supply of software on the peninsula may be imposed administrative (non-technical) restrictions, says CEO “Oblakoteka” Maxim Zakharenko. According to him, the Online Service will try to block on IP-addresses. Will not serve the users, as well as register new that as a residence themselves dictate the Crimea. But if a person instead of «Sevastopol» to write, for example, “Saratov”, check it will be difficult, says Zakharenko: “The spread of piracy, the substitution of IP-address of a – that’s what will happen. That is all formally observed, but the real effect will be minimal ».
is technically feasible blocking will be problematic, since the restriction on IP-addresses has a high percentage of errors, according to a partner group of companies vvCube, founder of online -pla tformy to attract investment Winggrace.com Daniel Kirikov . In this case, the company may suffer serious reputational loss, he predicts.
The general director of the company 4talk, develops eponymous messenger Sergey Kravtsov sure that the blockade of the Crimea almost does not affect any American nor the Russian IT-business: “It’s just a game muscles, nothing more.” In his view, software products, which imposed a ban on the territory of Crimea are not unique. For most of them there is the replacement of domestic production, such as the browser from “Yandex” or mail Mail.ru. “Crimea is neither a Russian” Silicon Valley “, or IT-capital of the world. There’s no high concentration of startups and scientific and technological institutions. And users have a variety of options lock bypass, such as VPN. Advanced audience configure a VPN for five minutes and go to the Russian neprodvinutye substitutes “- concludes Kravtsov.
As the US staged a blockade of Iran online
Iran is under pressure from US economic sanctions since 1979. Fallen under the ban, in particular, the supply of high-tech equipment in the country. Over time, the embargo extended to the delivery of software, online services and telecommunication technologies.
2009
After the 2009 elections, a wave of protests. It turned out that the people of the country to successfully circumvent the ban. To disseminate information protesters actively used Twitter, Facebook and other services. At this time, the State Department even appealed to the leadership Twitter for rescission of the planned maintenance work.
2010
USA weakened “electronic curtain” in Iran only in 2010, allowing residents to set free the American program and use the free service for communication on the Internet: browsers, platforms for blogs, e-mail, instant messaging services, social networks. Washington explained this indulgence desire “to ensure the universal right to freedom of expression and information».
2012
The US authorities have opened the Iranians access to personal communications (Google Talk, Microsoft Live, free Skype), a Personal Information Manager (Dropbox), browsers (Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer), plug-ins (Flashplayer, Shockwave, Java) , document reader (Acrobat Reader). This decision followed a regular anti-government demonstrations.
2013
In 2013, Washington allowed provide Iranians paid software for personal communication, such as Skype with a monthly fee, as well as communication devices (smart phones, satellite phones, laptops, tablets), peripherals, antivirus software, mobile operating systems.
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