The Kremlin Responds to US Ban on Kaspersky Software
The Biden administration’s decision to ban the sale of antivirus software made by Russia’s Kaspersky Lab in the United States has drawn criticism from the Kremlin. The Russian government views this move as an attempt by Washington to stifle foreign competition with American products.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo cited concerns over the Kremlin’s influence on Kaspersky Lab, stating that Russia has the capacity and intent to exploit the company for collecting and weaponizing personal information of Americans.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov defended Kaspersky as a competitive company in international markets and criticized the US decision as a tactic of unfair competition. Kaspersky has announced plans to pursue legal options to challenge the ban, asserting that its products and services do not pose a threat to US national security.
The company maintains that it is privately managed and has no affiliations with the Russian government, emphasizing that the US ban was not based on a comprehensive evaluation of the integrity of Kaspersky’s operations.
