Microsoft has stopped offering its Windows Live Messenger service to users in five countries that are subject to U.S. sanctions, the company confirmed Friday.
People in Cuba, Syria, Iran, Sudan and North Korea no longer have access to Microsoft's free, Web-based instant-messaging service, Microsoft said via e-mail.
The U.S. considers each of those countries to be hostile or threatening in some way to its national interests. Details of the trade and economic sanctions against them can be viewed at the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Microsoft wouldn't comment on why it chose to shut down the service at this time, or how long people in those countries had been able to access Windows Live Messenger. Microsoft said it does not currently do business with those countries.
The LiveSide.net blog first reported Microsoft's ending its IM service in those countries earlier this week.
Microsoft! that is a BULLSH*T move. So you cut off something fom the People of those country when the people have no fault in this? WOW. Just likr a little kid. So stupid.
by Anonymous (not verified) on 5/23/09 at 1:35 am |reply
Sidekick: The Good News & the Bad News Either way you look at it Microsoft Data Center management did not follow standards or best practices in this failure. In which case it makes me wonder more about the outsourcing of corporate data much less personal data.
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Thats BS!
Microsoft! that is a BULLSH*T move. So you cut off something fom the People of those country when the people have no fault in this? WOW. Just likr a little kid. So stupid.