Microsoft blocks Live Messenger access to embargoed nations
Geo-blocking of products, services, and media is as commonplace as anything these days. From movies being released earlier in some countries, online video services such as Hulu and the BBC iPlayer being viewable on only one side of the Atlantic, and now access to Microsoft’s Live Messenger being blocked in a number of countries.
The idea of the Internet being a free and open network available to all is far from the reality. Thanks to the blocking of Web sites deemed offensive, or thanks to the Great Firewall of China, which blocks any site which could possibly contain anything not useful to society, the Web is about as free as a very expensive meal in a restaurant.
Windows Live Messenger, formerly MSN Messenger, is a free instant messaging client that enables people to chat, by text or video, over the Internet. Once a standalone product it’s now part of the Live group of Microsoft services alongside Live Hotmail, Live Search, and Live Writer.
Last week saw LiveSide discover that Live Messenger had been blocked in Cuba, Syria, Iran, Sudan, and North Korea, countries embargoed by the United States for being “hostile” or a threat in some other way. Users in these countries trying to access to the service will now receive the 810003c1 error message stating “We were unable to sign you in to the .NET Messenger Service.”
Microsoft has since confirmed the blocking of all Windows Live services in these countries in a support post. However, the names of the countries have been deleted to be replaced by the line “certain countries subject to United States sanctions.” Whatever the wording, Microsoft has decided that offering Live Messenger constitutes offering goods or products to a country which the U.S. government deems it is inappropriate to do so.
This would make sense except for two glaring facts: Windows Live services are free to use, and why now when sanctions have been in place against most of these countries for many years? Most commenters to the original article and others on the Web indicate that there are very simple workarounds to the block anyway. Which makes me think the whole thing is really rather pointless.
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May 26th, 2009
Third party workarounds/hacks won’t land MS in federal court. When did you get a law degree and become qualified to offer legal advice?
May 31st, 2009
MS can help build a shadow company in foreign land, (China?) and resume the service. I see this move by US gov as a fool step of deducing its own global influence.
Time for other companies to fill the void. If people in some countries can’t afford it, let gov send them aids and let them depend on you. Good business.