The platforms that switched back on for Syria
Steam, Binance, Zoom, Google's ad network, GitHub. A running inventory of the global services that have restored access — and the legal plumbing that made it possible.
Julian / UnsplashSanctions relief on paper only matters when companies act on it. Through 2025, they started acting. This is the inventory as of early October — we'll keep the series updated as more switch on.
Restored
- Steam — lifted its ban and reopened regional store access in the weeks after the May announcement.
- Binance — opened to Syrian users following the same relief.
- Zoom — confirmed working by the communications ministry; the daily standup is officially legal infrastructure now.
- Google advertising — in August, Google removed Syria from its OFAC-restricted advertising policy, reopening Google Ads, Ad Exchange, and Ad Manager.
- GitHub — announced full restoration on September 4: private repos, paid plans, Copilot.
The plumbing underneath
Two legal changes did the heavy lifting. OFAC's removal of the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (effective August 26) ended the country-level prohibition that compliance teams couldn't work around. And the Commerce Department's export-control rule (August 28) created License Exception SPP, allowing most civilian goods, software, and technology to flow without individual licenses. Once those landed, each company's general counsel could finally say yes.
What this means for a product team
The practical checklist: your repo can be private on GitHub; your ads can run on Google; your calls can run on Zoom; your distribution can include Syrian users without geo-blocking gymnastics. The remaining friction is mostly financial — card processing and banking are on their own reconstruction timeline — and individual platforms still lag at their own pace. Check each vendor's current policy; don't assume.