Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Microsoft Disables Cuba's IM Privileges



Alongside the United States' sanctions on Cuba, which include restricted travel and trade, Microsoft has added a technological blockade against the country, CBS News reports. The software giant's Messenger has been available on the island for about a decade without interference, but that all reportedly changed late last year with the most recent Windows Live Messenger Update.

News of the change didn't spread, though, until last Friday, when Cuban youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde referred to Microsoft's actions as "the latest turn of the screw in the United States' technological blockade against the island." Along with Cuba, Microsoft has ceased providing their services to other countries that are under embargo, including Iran, North Korea and Sudan. Windows Live Product Management director Dharmesh Mehta stated that the company is taking "steps aimed at meeting their obligations to not do business with markets on the U.S. sanctions list."

While limiting communication with the island seems harsh, Cuba's government is known for restricting its citizens' Internet use, leaving Cuba with the lowest rate of Internet access in Latin America. While we applaud Microsoft for honoring U.S. sanctions, disabling Messenger access is no way to promote democracy or country-wide communication. [From: CBSNews.com]

Tags: Cuba, instant messaging, InstantMessaging, internet, microsoft, MSN Messenger, MsnMessenger, sanctions, top

Comments

2

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.