The US government will impose restrictions on the sale and use of Kaspersky antivirus software starting in July due to “possible misuse” by Russia.

Kaspersky is in danger of ending up on the US blacklist. According to Reuters, it is only a matter of time before the restrictions are officially introduced. The security company’s alleged ties to the Russian government pose “serious security risks to the United States,” the argument goes.

“Russia has demonstrated that it has the ability and intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize Americans’ personal information,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a press conference. The government also fears that Moscow could misuse Kaspersky’s antivirus software to plant malware in American companies.

The trade restrictions would take effect thirty days after the official publication in the Federal Register. This means that Kaspersky security products may no longer be sold from the end of July. Anyone who violates this ban risks heavy fines. A transition period of one hundred days is planned for current users to find an alternative.

Ban announced

Kaspersky’s position has been under pressure in the US for years. In 2017, the Department of National Security imposed a ban on the use of Kasperksy software in government networks. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, political pressure has increased to take more comprehensive action against the company.

Kaspersky has always claimed that it has no ties to the Russian government. Its official headquarters are still in Moscow, but Kaspersky is owned by a British holding company. Kaspersky is now considering legal action against a trade ban.

What is Europe doing?

The war in Ukraine has also increased the attention of European governments on Kaspersky. The German government, among others, has already asked its companies to be careful with the company’s products. The European institutions agreed in 2018 to stop using the antivirus software.

Kaspersky is choosing the tactic of open card play in Europe and opened a transparency center in Utrecht at the end of 2022.