4 ms·

Something is changing in the US though. > The US Commerce Department is unequivocal that the new sanctions against NSO Group and Candiru is connected to their

by 2rsf 5y ago

Something is changing in the US though. > The US Commerce Department is unequivocal that the new sanctions against NSO Group and Candiru is connected to their software being used to government officials, journalists, activists and business people. [0] https://twitter.com/AlexMartin/status/1455892710586519553 https://twitter.com/AlexMartin/status/1455892710586519553

boomboomsubban 5y ago
Putting them on the entity list just limits what US exports can go directly to them. Basically I can't sell a zero day to the NSO group, but I can buy one from them. This can hardly be considered a sign something is changing, it's the bare minimum that can be done for PR purposes.
- JumpCrisscross 5y ago
  > it's the bare minimum that can be done for PR purposes This is an edgy dismissal from an armchair, but it’s wrong. Functionally, this designation cuts the company and its employees off from the American financial system.
  - boomboomsubban 5y ago
    How? There's no restriction on buying from the NSO Group, I'm unaware of there being any restriction on using US banks. The Entity List just bars exports of certain items to that company. What US good are they dependent on?
    - JumpCrisscross 5y ago
      > I'm unaware of there being any restriction on using US banks Most institutions won’t open an account for someone with an OFAC hit. They legally can. But it involves a lot of extra legal, compliance and other costs. As a result, most don’t.
      - boomboomsubban 5y ago
        The Entity List isn't an OFAC hit, it's done by the Bureau of Industry and Security and is much less severe. It only bars certain exports, and the financial industry isn't exporting anything.
        JumpCrisscross 5y ago
        > Entity List isn't an OFAC hit, it's done by the Bureau of Industry and Security and is much less severe. It only bars certain exports, and the financial industry isn't exporting anything Have you implemented a BSA, AML and OFAC program? Or worked at a financial institution that had? Because I have. You are as incorrect as your are adamant. In case you're arguing in good faith, no, the Entity List isn't administered by OFAC. But it is a sanctions list, and as such, colloquially, generates an "OFAC hit" in compliance terms. If you work, or have worked, for an Entity List firm, you're going to have a hard time obtaining and maintaining bank or brokerage accounts, or buying insurance, from U.S.-regulated or interacting firms.
mach1ne 5y ago
It's rather difficult to say what prompted this. First intuition would be that it has something to do with NSO not giving backdoor access to certain US organizations, but it could be an actual political shift away from supporting stuff as murky as this.
- raxxorrax 5y ago
  It could also just be a distraction from domestic apps that do the exact same thing. Good to have a fall guy and it creates a pretense that these apps cross a line which is ignored by domestic actions anyway.

by 2rsf 5y ago

boomboomsubban 5y ago

Putting them on the entity list just limits what US exports can go directly to them. Basically I can't sell a zero day to the NSO group, but I can buy one from them. This can hardly be considered a sign something is changing, it's the bare minimum that can be done for PR purposes.

JumpCrisscross 5y ago
> it's the bare minimum that can be done for PR purposes This is an edgy dismissal from an armchair, but it’s wrong. Functionally, this designation cuts the company and its employees off from the American financial system.
- boomboomsubban 5y ago
  How? There's no restriction on buying from the NSO Group, I'm unaware of there being any restriction on using US banks. The Entity List just bars exports of certain items to that company. What US good are they dependent on?
  - JumpCrisscross 5y ago
    > I'm unaware of there being any restriction on using US banks Most institutions won’t open an account for someone with an OFAC hit. They legally can. But it involves a lot of extra legal, compliance and other costs. As a result, most don’t.
    - boomboomsubban 5y ago
      The Entity List isn't an OFAC hit, it's done by the Bureau of Industry and Security and is much less severe. It only bars certain exports, and the financial industry isn't exporting anything.
      - JumpCrisscross 5y ago
        > Entity List isn't an OFAC hit, it's done by the Bureau of Industry and Security and is much less severe. It only bars certain exports, and the financial industry isn't exporting anything Have you implemented a BSA, AML and OFAC program? Or worked at a financial institution that had? Because I have. You are as incorrect as your are adamant. In case you're arguing in good faith, no, the Entity List isn't administered by OFAC. But it is a sanctions list, and as such, colloquially, generates an "OFAC hit" in compliance terms. If you work, or have worked, for an Entity List firm, you're going to have a hard time obtaining and maintaining bank or brokerage accounts, or buying insurance, from U.S.-regulated or interacting firms.

mach1ne 5y ago

It's rather difficult to say what prompted this. First intuition would be that it has something to do with NSO not giving backdoor access to certain US organizations, but it could be an actual political shift away from supporting stuff as murky as this.

raxxorrax 5y ago
It could also just be a distraction from domestic apps that do the exact same thing. Good to have a fall guy and it creates a pretense that these apps cross a line which is ignored by domestic actions anyway.