• MrMakabar@slrpnk.net
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    1 month ago

    Because there are both US and EU laws preventing code from countries deemed a threat. Torvalds is paid by the Ameircan Linux Foundation, which has to work under US law and he himself is an EU citizen. Also a lot of other developers are from those countries and if they do not comply, they could get into some pretty bad legal trouble.

    So it pretty much boils down to kick out the Russians or kick out all US and EU citizens and well we see Linus choice.

    • Zomg@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      It’s not that hard of a choice either ofc, given one is essentially required.

    • GamingChairModel@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      That’s the start, of course. One could always play good cop, bad cop: “I have to do this to comply with the law, sorry, there’s nothing else I can do.” What Linus has done here is play bad cop, bad cop: “the law says I have to obey sanctions, and by the way I support the sanctions and this move anyway.”

      • Vilian@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        He didn’t banned the Russians when the war started, he could, and probably wanted, but didn’t so what’s your point?

    • Maiznieks@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Do you also know Finland is next to russia and it does not have to be US influence for someone like Linus to know Russian gov can pressure developers? This change removes code commit not the contribution rights.