Europe News Desk!! Microsoft will pay a $3 million fine in the US from 2012 to 2019 for selling software to sanctioned companies in Russia, Cuba, Iran and Syria. According to the US Department, most of the apparent breaches involve Russian entities or persons based in the Crimean region of Ukraine and resulted from the failure of Microsoft entities to identify and prevent the use of their products by proscribed parties. The settlement amount reflects the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) determination that the conduct of the Microsoft entities was non-conflict and voluntarily self-disclosed and the significant remedial measures taken by Microsoft when clear violations were discovered, the statement said. it shows.
According to an OFAC enforcement notice, Microsoft, Microsoft Ireland and Microsoft Russia failed to track who was purchasing the company’s software and services through third-party partners. The reasons for these apparent violations include the lack of complete or accurate information on the identity of end customers for Microsoft’s products, Treasury said. The total value of these sales and related services was $12,105,189.79. According to the US agency, Microsoft Russia employees may also have intentionally tried to sabotage the company’s due diligence efforts. A Microsoft spokesperson said Microsoft takes compliance with export controls and sanctions very seriously, which is why after learning of screening failures and violations by certain employees, we voluntarily disclosed them to the appropriate authorities.
–IANS
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