U.S. looks to software to help open 3 nations

U.S. looks to software to help open 3 nations
Reuters
Mon Mar 8, 11:49 am ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. officials said they were allowing U.S.
technology companies to export chat and social media software to Iran,
Sudan and Cuba, with the hope it will help their citizens communicate
with the outside world.

The decision by the U.S. Treasury Department followed a request by the
State Department to provide waivers under existing sanctions, allowing
companies like Google Inc and Microsoft Corp to export free mass market
software.

"Today's actions will enable Iranian, Sudanese and Cuban citizens to
exercise their most basic rights," Treasury Deputy Treasury Secretary
Neil Wolin said in a statement.

The waiver would allow downloads of software for Web browsing, blogging,
email, instant messaging, and chat; social networking; and photo and
movie sharing, the Treasury said.

In a December 15, 2009, letter to Carl Levin, chairman of the U.S.
Senate Armed Services Committee, the State Department said it had asked
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to loosen export
rules, citing a U.S. national interest to allow people in those nations
to have access to the programs.

(Reporting by John Poirier; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

U.S. looks to software to help open 3 nations - Yahoo! News (8 March 2010)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100308/wr_nm/us_usa_tech_treasury_sanctions_1