FCC adds Kaspersky to its list of national security threats

Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

According to a report, the US Federal Communications Commission has added the Russian company to its list of entities that pose an unacceptable risk to US national security. This is the first time a Russian company has been added to the list, which is otherwise made up of Chinese companies.

The FCC's Universal Service Fund cannot be used to purchase products or services from companies on the list. China Telecom and China Mobile International USA were added to the FCC's list on Friday.

I am pleased that our national security agencies agreed with my assessment that China Mobile and China Telecom appeared to meet the threshold necessary to add these entities to our list.

The FCC's decision was made on political grounds in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a press release from the company.

The Moscow-based company denied that it was used to steal classified documents from the National Security Agency. Donald Trump signed a bill banning the use of Kaspersky products by federal agencies after accusing the company of having ties to the Kremlin.