ALBAWABA - As part of Russia's continuous efforts to exert additional authority over online activity, the Russian telecommunications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has taken another step by prohibiting the use of the widely used online communication platform Discord, AFP reports.
The ban, which was announced on Tuesday, is in response to what the Russian authorities characterize as the platform's breach of national laws that are intended to combat extremism and terrorism.
A statement made by Roskomnadzor said that Discord did not cooperate with instructions to take down roughly 1,000 pieces of content that were considered unlawful according to Russian laws, state media TASS reports.
The regulator further indicated that the site is "actively used by criminals," noting worries around the use of Discord for reasons such as the recruitment of individuals for terrorist operations, the sale of drugs, and the spread of material that is extremist in nature.
In previous instances, Russia has penalized Discord. A Moscow court fined the platform six million rubles, or around $62,000, in July 2023 for neglecting to remove unlawful information. In October 2023, a more recent court decision resulted in an extra fine of $36,175 (or 3.5 million rubles). Authorities argue that the ban was necessary since Discord has not complied with these rulings.
Although Discord has become extremely popular among younger Russians, especially in gaming circles, its user base in the nation is far lower than that of Telegram, which continues to be used most commonly as Russians' messaging platform of choice, according to AFP.
