Security News
The 10 Most Controversial Companies Of 2019
Steven Burke
Whether it was a security vendor hit by hackers, whistleblower accusations of hiding damaging figures or a major channel policy change that raised the ire of partners, 2019 was a year filled with controversial companies. Here’s our list of the top 10 most controversial.
9. Cloudflare
Cloudflare admitted that its products have been used by or for the benefit of individuals and entities that have been blacklisted by federal regulators.
The San Francisco-based networking and cybersecurity vendor said a small number of blacklisted parties made payments to Cloudflare in connection with their use of the company's platform, according to a regulatory filing.
Parties allowed to use Cloudflare's products include entities designated as terrorists or narcotics traffickers by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), as well as groups affiliated with governments currently subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions.
Cloudflare said in its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it has implemented additional controls and screening tools to prevent similar activity from occurring in the future.
Cloudflare also indicated that it may have submitted incorrect information to the U.S. government in connection with certain hardware exports, according to the filing. As a result, Cloudflare said it submitted self-disclosures to the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security as well as to the Census Bureau regarding potential violations of Foreign Trade Regulations.
