Russia Blocks Discord Messenger, Citing Violation of National Laws

On Tuesday, October 8, Russia restricted access to the popular messaging platform Discord, citing violations of Russian law. According to a statement by Roskomnadzor, the decision was made due to the platform’s failure to comply with regulations designed to prevent its use in terrorist and extremist activities, drug trafficking, and the dissemination of illegal content.

Russian users began reporting widespread access issues earlier in the day, shortly before the official announcement. This follows Roskomnadzor’s earlier demand that Discord remove 947 pieces of content deemed “unlawful” by the authorities.

As previously reported, Russian users have also encountered difficulties with other global services. On September 9, Russian users reported problems creating Google accounts using Russian phone numbers. Attempts to register resulted in an error message, and Google has yet to comment. These issues were believed to be linked to upcoming sanctions on IT and software services targeting Russia, set to take effect on September 12.

In August, YouTube also faced restrictions, with video playback speeds reduced to 128 kilobits per second. This slowdown was part of a broader move by Russian authorities to limit access to foreign digital platforms.