On Tuesday, October 8, Russia escalated its crackdown on foreign digital platforms by blocking access to the popular messaging service Discord, citing violations of national laws.
According to Roskomnadzor, the country’s communications watchdog, the platform failed to comply with regulations designed to curb its use in activities like terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, and the distribution of illegal content.
Russian users first noticed widespread access issues early in the day, just before the official announcement was made.
This latest move comes after Roskomnadzor previously demanded Discord remove 947 pieces of content deemed “unlawful” by Russian authorities.
Discord isn’t the only global service facing restrictions in Russia.
Just last month, on September 9, Russian users reported being blocked from creating Google accounts using Russian phone numbers, receiving error messages instead.
While Google has remained silent on the issue, many suspect it’s tied to new sanctions targeting IT and software services in Russia, set to roll out on September 12.
In August, YouTube also felt the squeeze, with video playback speeds throttled to just 128 kilobits per second. This slowdown is part of a broader effort by Russian authorities to limit access to foreign platforms as tensions between Russia and the tech world continue to rise.
