Microsoft-owned code host Github apparently began blocking the accounts of numerous Russian developers and companies last week. Content previously hosted under these accounts is also no longer available, as Bleeping Computer reports.
The background to the blocks is apparently the sanctions imposed by the US on Russian companies in the wake of the Ukraine war.
Blocking on GitHub began on April 13th. For two days, hosting blocked several dozen companies and developers. According to the report, the source code repositories of Sberbank Technology, Sberbank AI Lab and Alfa Bank Laboratory are affected. These were initially deactivated and then also deleted from Github. In addition to the projects of the organizations, numerous private accounts of developers were also affected by the blocking.
Some of the affected developers write about the blocking of private accounts on Twitter. The blocking of individual developer accounts seems surprising, since no direct sanctions have been imposed on the individuals themselves. The developer Vadim Yanitskiy, who among other things contributes to the Osmocom project, suspects that the blocking is related to his former work for Positive Technologies. Developer Sergey Bobrov also wrote on Twitter that his temporary suspension was implemented because of sanctions against a former employer.
In March 2022, shortly after the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Github declared that it wanted to be the home of all developers, including those in Russia. As a US company, however, Github must abide by any sanctions. For years, Github did not offer its services in Iran.
