Microsoft’s developer portal GitHub will soon be fully available again for users in Iran, despite the continued US sanctions against the Islamic Republic. The managing director of Github, Nat Friedman, announced this in a blog entry shortly after the consequences of the sanctions became visible again. Since the summer 2019 GitHub has not been fully usable for users from Iran, the sanctioned states of Cuba, North Korea and Syria as well as the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia are also affected. Developers in these states do not benefit from the change that has now been achieved, writes Friedman.

Sanctions hit the developer community The first indications of the restrictions were made public in July 2019. GitHub then announced that as a consequence of the US trade sanctions against the areas, restrictions on private repositories and paid accounts were introduced. These applied to developers residing in these states or in the Crimea: people who only stayed there temporarily could apply for the blockage to be lifted after leaving the country. GitHub has meanwhile tried to make as much as possible accessible in these states, too, Friedman now writes. In addition, one tried in the background to achieve exceptions.

With regard to Iran, that was now crowned with success, writes the CEO. Accordingly, the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the US Treasury Department was convinced that the use of GitHub promotes human rights, promotes international communication and freedom of speech and the flow of information. The authority has now issued the necessary license and they are now working on granting developers in Iran full access again. Friedman insists that similar licenses are now being obtained for Crimea and Syria.

Company locked out The consequences of The German company Neocom only felt the effects of sanctions and their implementation at GitHub a few days ago. Their boss contacted GitHub on Twitter after the start-up’s entire access to GitHub was blocked. Previously, an employee only “opened the laptop” while visiting his parents in Iran. The account has since been activated again, the temporal connection to the announced changed initial situation was purely coincidental, GitHub assured the media.

(mho)