Russia’s telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has blocked Signal Private Messenger for allegedly breaching laws associated with anti-terrorism efforts, as reported by Interfax. The encrypted messaging app, popular among up to a million Russian users for its secure communication features, faced accessibility issues following this decision.
Roskomnadzor stated that the app’s use in terrorist and extremist activities prompted the blockade, emphasizing adherence to Russian legislation. Before the formal announcement, many users experienced disruptions, although the app functioned normally via VPN or its built-in censorship bypass mode.
According to internet service monitoring sites, over 1,500 complaints emerged, primarily from Moscow and St. Petersburg. This led to speculations that the disruption was due to an official block rather than technical difficulties on Signal’s part, as explained by Mikhail Klimarev, a telecom expert.
Signal has not responded to inquiries regarding the block. Additionally, attempts to register new accounts without a VPN proved futile in Moscow and the Krasnodar region, displaying “Server Error” messages.
This incident marks Russia’s first significant attempt to block Signal. Similar actions against Telegram in 2018 disrupted some third-party services but did little to curb the app’s availability in Russia.
