Linus Torvalds—Linux kernel removed approximately 12 Russian maintainers citing US sanctions compliance
In October 2024, the Linux kernel removed about a dozen maintainers associated with Russian entities from the MAINTAINERS file, citing 'various compliance requirements.' The changes were made without review by other developers or the affected maintainers. Torvalds affirmed the decision, referencing Russian sanctions and his Finnish heritage. Community members criticized the lack of transparency and the process used.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Governance | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Corporate Transparency | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.166 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)× agency (compelled ×0.25)
Evidence (1 signal)
Torvalds affirmed expulsion of Russian Linux kernel maintainers
Torvalds responded to community criticism by calling dissenters 'Russian trolls' and stated: 'It's entirely clear why the change was done, it's not getting reverted.' He cited Russian sanctions and his Finnish heritage.