Newfold Digital-owned hosting provider Bluehost shut down site promoting democracy in Belarus: Yaraslau Kryvoi was from Belarus but living in Washington, D.C. when he ran a website for a chapter of the Belarusan American Association (BAZA) in 2009. Newsweek magazine described the organization, founded in 1949, as "one of the oldest and most visible U.S.-based groups pushing for democracy in Belarus." The United States Commerce Department, according to Newsweek's reporting, imposed economic sanctions against Belarus that includes "a blanket ban ... designed to keep sensitive technology, like encryption, from falling into the wrong hands." This does not appear to be in conflict with the site run by Kryvoi. However, when he used his credit card to pay the hosting fees while in Belarus, the action likely raised a flag at Newfold Digital's Bluehost hosting provider. At the time of the incident, Newsweek characterized Bluehost as "one of the world's biggest hosting companies." According to Kryvoi, "a customer-service representative" at Bluehost informed him that in order to comply with the sanctions, the hosting provider decided to stop "dealing with clients who might have connections with sanctioned countries." The president of Bluehost at the time did not respond to a request for comment by Newsweek.