Russia has banned nine foreign messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord in a new law applicable for Russian government and state agencies. The ban went into effect on March 1, 2023, and is part of a larger effort by the Russian government to control the flow of information and communication in and out of the country.
The Russian agency Roskomnadzor issued the announcement, citing Article 8-10 of the new Russian law which “prohibits Russian agencies from using information exchange systems owned by foreign entities.”
The full list of banned messaging apps are:
- Telegram
- Discord
- Viber
- Snapchat
- Threema
- Microsoft Teams
- Skype for Business
The ban is reportedly due to concerns about the security of these apps, as well as their ability to be used to spread misinformation. Telegram, in particular, has been criticized by the Russian government for its role in the protests against the war in Ukraine. It has been banned at various times throughout the past few years by Russia.
Surprisingly excluded are Zoom, Slack and Signal from the announcement. It’s unknown why, or whether they will be added at another time.
The ban is likely to have a significant impact on the way people in Russia communicate. WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in Russia, with over 100 million users. Telegram is also widely used, and Discord is popular among gamers, although it can be used similar to Slack and on any topic.
Russian ban on messaging apps was next step after already banning top VPN services
The ban is likely to lead to an increase in the use of Russian-made messaging apps, such as VKontakte and Mail.Ru. However, it is also possible that people will find ways to circumvent the ban, such as using VPNs or proxies. Many top trustworthy VPNs such as ProtonVPN, Tor, ExpressVPN have been banned within the last few years by the Russian government. Dozens of others and anonymizers have also been banned since 2018.
Last month, the State Duma proposed a new, national VPN for citizens to use to “remain productive while working” and avoid security concerns.
The ban is a sign of the growing tensions between Russia and the West. It is also a reminder of the power that governments have to control the flow of information.
