U.S. officials said they were allowing U.S. technology companies to export chat and social media software to Iran, Sudan and Cuba, with the hope it will help their citizens communicate with the outside world.
The decision by the U.S. Treasury Department followed a request by the State Department to provide waivers under existing sanctions, allowing companies like Google Inc and Microsoft Corp to export free mass market software.
Today's actions will enable Iranian, Sudanese and Cuban citizens to exercise their most basic rights
"Today's actions will enable Iranian, Sudanese and Cuban citizens to exercise their most basic rights," Treasury Deputy Treasury Secretary Neil Wolin said in a statement.
The waiver would allow downloads of software for Web browsing, blogging, email, instant messaging, and chat; social networking; and photo and movie sharing, the Treasury said.
In a Dec. 15, 2009, letter to Carl Levin, chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, the State Department said it had asked Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to loosen export rules, citing a U.S. national interest to allow people in those nations to have access to the programs.
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