The US Department of Commerce said that Microsoft supplied its software to the FAU “Glavgosexpertiza of Russia” and the “United Shipbuilding Corporation”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control under the US Treasury announced that Microsoft has agreed to pay more than 3 million in fines for violating sanctions against a number of countries, including Russia.
“ Today, as part of a coordinated effort to enforce the law, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed $3.3 million in total civil penalties against Microsoft for alleged and apparent violations of US export control laws and sanctions. Microsoft voluntarily reported the alleged violations to BIS and OFAC, cooperated with the joint investigation, and took corrective action ,” the statement said.
Microsoft will pay more than $3 million in fines for violating sanctions.
OFAC noted that ” Microsoft has agreed to pay $2,980,265.86 to settle potential civil liability related to the export of services or software from the United States to countries subject to comprehensive sanctions and to persons on the blocking sanctions list or prohibited persons for violating OFAC sanctions programs related to Cuba, Iran, Syria, and Ukraine/Russia .”
Speaking of Russia, OFAC found that Microsoft violated sanctions by allowing its products to be used in Crimea by “ blocked Russian entities or individuals .”
As for the violations recorded by the US Department of Commerce, we are talking about seven episodes. Reportedly, employees of Microsoft’s Russian office ” encouraged another Microsoft subsidiary to enter into or sell software license agreements, which allowed transferring or accessing ” such software. The statement also indicates specific Russian companies: FAU Glavgosexpertiza of Russia and United Shipbuilding Corporation.
