U.S. Department of Commerce announcements, major news outlets

Biden Administration to Ban Kaspersky Antivirus Sales in U.S. Starting July 20, Updates End September 29

Jun 21, 2024, 10:31 AM

The Biden administration has announced plans to ban the sale of Kaspersky Lab's antivirus software in the United States due to concerns over the company's ties to the Russian government. The ban will take effect on July 20, preventing new sales, and will prohibit software updates to existing U.S. customers starting September 29, giving users 100 days to find alternatives. The U.S. Commerce Department, led by Secretary Gina Raimondo, cited national security risks as the primary reason for the ban. In addition, the U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions on 12 executives of Kaspersky Lab, though the company's CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, is not among them. Kaspersky has denied posing any security threat and criticized the decision as being politically motivated.