CIA and NSA basically have unlimited budgets to throw around, including all of these investments in tech firms. Remember years ago when Skype encryption had the NSA frustrated? They offered billions of dollars to anyone that could circumvent it. Microsoft took then up on that offer and opened Skype right up to them.
Skype under investigation in Luxembourg over link to NSA
Few in the modern age can stand on principle when faced with the harassment of the CIA/NSA. Even fewer can stand on principle when offered millions of dollars. Would you? Not everyone can be Lavabit, so most companies simply turn over the goods when asked nicely and have a briefcase slid over in front of them. I consider any company taking ANY amount of funding from the US Govt. intelligence cartels to be tainted goods. I consider any firm hiring ex-spooks to be tainted goods.
US Intel cartels have demonstrated they aren't ANYONES friend. They're only interested in themselves, their own power and protecting what they have and control through whatever means possible. As such, anyone that gets in their way, is troublesome, or impedes their free reign of action is probably considered their enemy. Even something as benign as using Linux or a VPN probably places you into their observation/curiosity zone.
The NSA Is Targeting Users of Privacy Services, Leaked Code Shows
What pisses me off more than anything is US Intel are operating with what amounts of criminal levels of activity. What gives them the right to hack or forge certs of a private corporation? What gives them the right to release malware into the wild? Do we have ANY evidence the Russian Govt. has the vast malware and exploits troves the US Govt. hordes and uses against people? NONE. Is there ANY evidence Russian govt. is reverse engineering or targeting US Based AV firms? NONE. Yet there is evidence the US Govt. is involved in all of this and more. Given all of the revelations that have taken place, if Kaspersky is antagonistic toward US Intelligence, he's probably a friend to you because US Intelligence has shown they are antagonistic toward everyone but themselves and their own parasitical interests.
