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Roskomnadzor has restricted access to the popular Viber messenger in Russia. This was reported by Russian media on Friday, 13 December.
The official reason for the block
The ban was imposed due to the messenger’s failure to comply with the requirements of Russian law regarding organisers of information dissemination. Roskomnadzor said that the decision was made to prevent Viber from being used for terrorist and extremist purposes, recruitment, drug trafficking and dissemination of illegal information.
Russia is actively tightening its control over digital platforms, obliging them to comply with strict requirements. The country has previously blocked other popular resources for refusing to cooperate with the authorities.
Users from Russia can still bypass the blocking by using VPN services, but such actions are also subject to the threat of persecution.
So far, international companies, including Rakuten, which owns Viber, have not commented on Roskomnadzor’s decision. However, experts predict that the blocking of the messenger could lead to significant outrage among Russian users.
This is another step by the Russian authorities to tighten control over the information space, which has been criticised by human rights organisations.
