WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat and six other messaging apps are targeted by Roskomnadzor. This Wednesday, the Russian regulatory authority Roskomnadzor banned their use by organizations in the country, reports Bleeping Computer relayed by Numerama.
Six applications, mostly American, are now banned: Discord, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, Threema and Telegram. The Roksomnadzor press release specifies that the ban currently only applies to Russian organisations. The population is therefore still authorized to use it.
Facebook and Instagram already banned
This new measure can have several explanations. Russia may be trying to anticipate new international sanctions, in the context of the war in Ukraine, by now getting down to work on its technological independence. The Russian government may also hope to limit espionage or the transmission of messages critical of government policy.
This measure is in any case not the first of its kind since the start of the invasion of neighboring Ukraine. US apps Facebook and Instagram have already been banned in the country, accused of failing to follow government guidelines.
