Russian Communications Regulatory Authority Roskomnadzor told local media outlet RBK on Friday that access to the encrypted messaging app Signal had been blocked due to violations of the law. The regulator said the blocking was aimed at preventing terrorism and extremism.
Signal is known for its high security and encryption features. Aside from encryption, the application works similarly to any other major social media platform. However, it is very popular among journalists in Russia.
Other social media platforms have experienced similar blockages in the country. On March 4, 2022 Roskomnadzor blocks Facebook and Instagram were also blocked in Russia shortly afterwards because of alleged hate speech against the Russian military.
In addition to blocking, social networks in Russia are also subject to other strict regulations. For example: Roskomnadzor issued a press release on Thursday confirming that it is the responsibility of these networks to conduct independent inspections of their platforms and remove illegal content. The regulator also detailed the millions of dollars in fines it imposed on various Western social media platforms in the first half of 2024.
Fears persist that YouTube will be the next platform to be blocked in Russia. Users have already reported outages similar to the Signal outage reports, or others report reduced speeds. These speed reductions and speculation about blocking have increased since the Ukraine war began, as Russian authorities have started accusing social networking platforms of spreading terrorist content and branding it as “terrorism.”
