GitHub unlocks full service for Iranian developers

GitHub has obtained a license from the US government to offer its full platform to developers in Iran, ending access restrictions that have been in place since 2019. The new license covers all services for individuals and organizations, including private and public repositories as well as free and paid tiers.

Why the restrictions existed

The United States has maintained broad sanctions on several countries, including Iran, that prohibit US companies from conducting business with individuals in those nations. These sanctions can extend to non-US companies as well when their activities touch the US financial system, such as payments routed through US banks or payment networks like Visa.

To stay compliant with those laws, GitHub imposed access limits in 2019 on developers in Iran and several other countries. Even then, the company says it worked to keep as much of the platform available as the sanctions regime allowed, including public repositories in sanctioned countries.

Two-year push for a license

Alongside its compliance efforts, GitHub took its case to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the arm of the US Treasury Department that administers sanctions. The company spent two years in what it describes as a lengthy and intensive process advocating for broad, open access to GitHub in sanctioned countries.

According to GitHub, the argument that ultimately carried the day centered on developer use of the platform as a driver of human progress, international communication, and the long-standing US foreign policy goal of promoting free speech and the free flow of information.

Restrictions being rolled back

GitHub is now reversing all access restrictions on developers in Iran and reinstating full access to accounts that were previously affected. Developers with questions or account-related issues can consult the company's trade controls help page.

Remaining work ahead

Iran is not the end of the road for GitHub's push to expand access. The company says it is also working with the US government to secure similar licenses for developers in Crimea and Syria, though no timeline was given for those efforts.