Russian authorities have blocked the use of the Viber messaging app, citing alleged violations of the law. The Russian telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced on Friday that Viber, owned by the Japanese multinational Rakuten, was being used for “terrorist and extremist purposes,” including drug trafficking and spreading misinformation.
The investigation focused on Viber’s role in disseminating “information aimed at destabilizing Russia’s political and social order,” according to the state news agency TAS. However, Viber has not yet commented on the matter.
Since 2018, communication platform operators in Russia have been required to store users’ private data, such as calls, messages, photos, and videos, and provide this data to intelligence agencies upon request.
The Russian government has significantly increased its censorship efforts since the start of its invasion of Ukraine. Viber was previously fined last year for failing to delete content related to the war, as ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
In addition to Viber, Russia has blocked several popular messaging and social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Signal, which are inaccessible in the country without a VPN (virtual private network).
