U.S. bans sales of Kaspersky anti-virus software, citing ties to Russia

“Russia has shown it has the capacity — and even more than that, the intent — to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and weaponize the personal information of Americans, and that’s why we are compelled to take the action we are taking today,” Raimondo said.

In a statement after the announcement, Kaspersky denied it engages in such activities and said it “believes that the Department of Commerce made its decision based on the present geopolitical climate and theoretical concerns, rather than on a comprehensive evaluation of the integrity of Kaspersky’s products and services.”

The Moscow-headquartered company provides IT security solutions to 400 million users and more than 200,000 corporate clients around the world, according to its website. On Thursday, it reported worldwide revenue of $721 million in 2023, on the back of an 11 percent growth in net sales bookings.

The ban comes into full effect Sept. 29, according to a statement from the Bureau of Industry and Security, a Commerce Department agency. Until then, Kaspersky will be allowed to continue providing some services in the United States, including certain updates, to give U.S. consumers and businesses time to find alternatives.

Individuals or businesses that continue to use the products will not face legal penalties, the department said, but assume “all the cybersecurity and associated risks of doing so.”

U.S. lawmakers have intensified scrutiny of foreign-owned apps and raised concerns over threats to data privacy and security. Earlier this year, President Biden signed into law a bill that could ban TikTok, citing concern about the Chinese ownership of the popular video-sharing platform.