The Kremlin says the US decision to ban Kaspersky software is designed to prevent competition from Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Friday that the U.S. decision to ban sales of Kaspersky software was a routine step by Washington to block foreign competition with American products.

The Biden administration on Thursday said it would ban the sale of anti-virus software made by Russia’s Kaspersky Lab in the United States, citing what it said was Kremlin influence on the company that posed a major security risk.

Announcing the ban, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters that “Russia has shown that it has the power and…intention to exploit Russian companies like Kaspersky to collect and exploit the information of Americans”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Kaspersky is a “very competitive company” in international markets and that Washington’s decision to limit its sales is “a favorite form of unfair competition from the United States.”

Kaspersky, which has said it will pursue legal action to try to preserve its operations, said it believes the US decision was not based on “a thorough assessment of the integrity of Kaspersky’s products and services” and that its operations did not threaten the US state. security.

The company said it is privately owned and has no links to the Russian government.