Signal messenger blocked in Russia, says Roskomnadzor

Russia's state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has officially blocked the encrypted messaging app Signal, citing violations of anti-terrorism laws. According to Interfax news agency, the agency stated that Signal's access was restricted due to its failure to comply with Russian legislation aimed at preventing the use of messaging platforms for terrorist and extremist activities. Before this announcement, numerous Signal users reported experiencing glitches with the app, which is utilized by approximately one million Russians for secure communication. Internet monitoring services logged over 1,500 complaints, predominantly from users in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Interestingly, users found that the app functioned normally when accessed via a VPN or through its built-in censorship bypass mode. “This clearly indicates a deliberate blocking of the messenger in Russia rather than a technical issue on Signal’s part,” remarked Mikhail Klimarev, author of the Telegram channel “For Telecom,” in comments to Reuters. Furthermore, new account registrations on Signal became impossible without a VPN, as users from Moscow and Krasnodar reported encountering a “Server Error” message when attempting to enter their mobile numbers. Signal has yet to respond to requests for comment. Klimarev noted that this marks the first attempt to block Signal in Russia. The Russian government previously initiated a blockade of Telegram in 2018, which disrupted various third-party services but ultimately had minimal impact on Telegram's accessibility within the country.

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