Not all countries have the resources needed to communicate with the outside world through online means, and this is what is exactly happening in Iran, Sudan, and Cuba.

Software exports

In an effort to help address this issue, U.S. officials have released in a statement that they are permitting technology companies in the country to make chat and social media software exports to the said countries. After a request has been passed by the State Department to release waivers under existing sanctions, the U.S. Treasury Department made the decision to allow technology companies to send mass-market types of software overseas for free. Some of the companies include Google Incorporated and Microsoft Corp.

U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Neil Wolin has stated recently that such actions by the American government will allow the citizens of Iran, Sudan, and Cuba to exercise their basic rights, as far as communication and online interaction is concerned.
 
Internet and social networking
 
The Treasury has furthermore stated that the waiver will result in the easy downloading of software for Internet browsing purposes, as well as for email, chat, blogging, and instant messaging. And with the current trend on social networking and photo and movie sharing, citizens of Iran, Sudan, and Cuba will have an easier means of reaching out to a vast global network.

The case on Iran

In the previous year, the Internet played a major role when Iranian protesters disputed the results of the elections. The United States, in reply, blamed Iran for not providing enough Internet access to its citizens.

Because Iran calls itself a democratic state, Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, says that its government should allow its citizens to exercise democratic rights and respect the rights to free expression. This statement followed the news conference held recently with the president of Gabon.

Ms. Clinton states furthermore that expression and assembly are now made possible through online means as well as in person. She is adamant about supporting Iranians who have the desire for free expression and communication, without having to experience pressures from their own government.

Collective national interest

The State Department has made a request to the Office of Foreign Assets Control to slacken their export rules, making a reference to the collective interest of the American nation to help citizens in the aforementioned countries to have access to the programs. This request was mentioned in a letter to the chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin, on December 15, 2009.

The U.S. Institute of Peace supports these actions of the U.S. Government, with Sheldon Himelfarb, technology expert at the said agency, stating that the move does not necessary mean that the governments of those countries no longer have the authority to control or censor what is being posted on the Internet as far as domestic issues are concerned. At the very least, the citizens of those countries will have access to the most outstanding communication tools, generally designed and developed in the U.S.