[PeterisP]

They're completely okay with that response. What they're worried about is that customers in U.S. government would consider their product more secure if they can ensure that the potential attackers in e.g. Russian government don't have access to that source code.

You can't please all customers if customer wants you to protect them from another potential customer of yours, you have to pick a side and stick to it.

[raesene9]

Well in this case it's not a big problem, as stated in the article Symantec didn't do much business in Russia.

However lets extrapolate and say what if the same thing were applied to Apple or Microsoft, who sell a very large amount of software to countries like China.

Should they forbid China access to their source code due to concerns from US customers.....

Would their shareholders be happy if they did? China is a large market, loss of access to that would be bad for a companies finacial health.