The popular GitHub platform is home to thousands of developers around the world. It was created about 11-12 years ago and its goal was to connect millions of developers, who would be able to create and share their software more efficiently. In 2018, the platform was purchased by Microsoft , but it still operates independently. However, recently, GitHub has started to block developers from entering depending on the country they work for.
A Russian developer, named Anatoliy Kashkin and residing in Ukraine, said account was banned last week.
Kashkin used GitHub to publish his personal blog and host the GameHub launcher for Linux, which brought the Steam, GOG, and Humble Bundle gaming platforms all together in one place.
He made a post on July 24, saying: “My GitHub account has been banned sanctions USbecause I live in Crimea. I may not be able to maintain GameHub in the future.” Along with this post, he shared a screenshot of the message GitHub sent him to inform him.
According to reports, other users living in Crimea have also been banned.
The ban, however, is not limited to Ukraine and the wider region. A developer, Hamed Saeedi, who lives and works in Iran, told Medium that his own GitHub account is also blocked.
However, GitHub has always explained how it treats its users. So, in this case too, it stated that: “To comply with U.S. trade control laws, GitHub recently made some changes to the way it operates its services .”
However, these restrictions do not fit with the platform's goals and vision of connecting developers from all over the world. It seems that US laws are more important than the platform's goals.
