Kaspersky Lab to Shut Down US Operations Due to Government Sanctions

Moscow, Russia Russian Federation
Kaspersky will begin laying off US-based employees later this week and completely wind down its business in the country by July 20, 2024.
Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab is shutting down its operations in the United States following government sanctions.
Sanctions were imposed due to concerns over Russian government influence or direct control of Kaspersky's operations and potential cybersecurity risks to national security.
The company will maintain its operations outside of the United States and continue investing in strategic markets.
Kaspersky Lab to Shut Down US Operations Due to Government Sanctions

Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab is shutting down its operations in the United States following sanctions imposed by the U.S. government on the company and its executives.

According to multiple reports, Kaspersky will begin laying off US-based employees later this week and will completely wind down its business in the country by July 20, 2024.

The decision comes after the U.S. Department of Commerce added Kaspersky Lab, OOO Kaspersky Group (Russia), and Kaspersky Labs Limited (United Kingdom) to its Entity List in June, effectively prohibiting any U.S. business from conducting transactions with these entities.

The sanctions were imposed due to concerns over the Russian government's influence or direct control of Kaspersky's operations and potential cybersecurity risks to national security.

Kaspersky Lab has denied these allegations, stating that it has been operating in the US for almost 20 years and contributing to the nation's strategic cybersecurity goals by safeguarding organizations and individuals from ever-evolving cyberthreats.

However, with business opportunities in the country no longer viable due to the sanctions, Kaspersky Lab has made the difficult decision to shut down its US operations.

The company will maintain its operations outside of the United States and continue investing in strategic markets to serve its customers and partners and ensure their protection.



Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • Are there any alternative explanations for the decision to shut down US operations besides the sanctions?

Sources

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Kaspersky will shutter its American operations and cut US-based jobs
    • Fewer than 50 US employees will be affected by the closure
    • Layoffs will begin later this week
    • Kaspersky products and software updates cannot be sold or distributed in the US after certain dates
    • Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced the ban in June for national security reasons
    • Russia has shown intent to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect personal information of Americans
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

93%

  • Unique Points
    • Russian antivirus company Kaspersky Labs is leaving the US after the Biden administration banned sales and distribution of the firm's software.
  • Accuracy
    • Russian antivirus company Kaspersky Labs is leaving the US after the Biden administration banned sales and distribution of the firm’s software.
    • Kaspersky will shutter its American operations and cut US-based jobs
    • Fewer than 50 US employees will be affected by the closure
    • Layoffs will begin later this week
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy and a dichotomous depiction. The appeal to authority is present when the article cites Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's statement about the risk posed by Moscow's influence over Kaspersky. The dichotomous depiction is found in the phrase 'as business opportunities in the country are no longer viable', which presents a false dichotomy between staying in the US and leaving, implying that Kaspersky had no choice but to leave. No other fallacies were found.
    • Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said last month that Moscow’s influence over the company posed a significant risk to US infrastructure and services.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

  • Unique Points
    • Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab will gradually wind down its US operations and lay off its US-based employees after the Department of Commerce announced a ban on the firm selling its products in the United States.
    • Kaspersky Lab said it made this decision because business opportunities in the country are no longer viable due to the ban.
    • The shutdown of Kaspersky Lab’s US operations will start on July 20, ending nearly two decades of the company operating in the country.
    • US officials have claimed that Kaspersky’s anti-virus software could be used by the Russian government for surveillance, but the company has strenuously denied these claims.
    • Kaspersky Lab was founded in Moscow in 1997 and grew into one of the world’s most successful anti-virus software companies alongside American rivals like McAfee and Symantec.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority and inflammatory rhetoric. It also uses a dichotomous depiction.
    • . . . US officials have claimed that the Russian government could use Kaspersky’s popular anti-virus software to surveil Americans through hacking or data collection. Kaspersky has strenuously denied those claims.
    • The Commerce Department last month announced the ban of the sale and provision of Kaspersky software in the United States, citing national security concerns.
    • US government agencies were already banned from using Kaspersky Lab software but the Commerce Department’s move to prevent the sale of the software in the United States was unprecedented.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Kaspersky Lab will shut down its U.S. operations and lay off U.S.-based employees next month.
    • Kaspersky has been operating in the U.S. for close to 20 years and contributed to the nation’s strategic cybersecurity goals.
    • The company will maintain operations outside of the United States, including its offices across Europe.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab is shutting down operations in the United States on July 20.
    • The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned twelve Kaspersky Lab executives on June 21 for operating in Russia’s technology sector, freezing their U.S. assets and preventing access to them until the sanctions are lifted.
    • The Biden administration’s decisions have made Kaspersky’s operations in the United States no longer viable.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication