Russia’s state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has announced that Signal, an encrypted messaging app, has been blocked in the country for failing to comply with anti-terrorism laws. According to Interfax news agency, the block is due to Signal’s alleged violation of regulations designed to prevent messaging apps from being used for terrorist and extremist purposes.
Before Roskomnadzor’s formal announcement, hundreds of Signal users reported glitches with the app. Over 1,500 complaints were noted, primarily from Moscow and St. Petersburg. Users observed that while the app appeared to function normally when accessed through a VPN or in censorship bypass mode, it was otherwise inaccessible. Mikhail Klimarev, author of the Telegram channel “For Telecom,” confirmed that this issue is indicative of a government-imposed block rather than a technical malfunction on Signal’s part.
Signal users attempting to register new accounts without a VPN encountered a “Server Error” message, reinforcing the suspicion that the block is intentional. Signal has yet to respond to requests for comment.
This move follows Russia’s previous attempt to block Telegram in 2018, which, despite disrupting some third-party services, had minimal impact on Telegram’s availability within the country.