Russia tightens internet controls with Signal app ban

Russia is once again attempting to control access to applications used by its citizens. This time, the Kremlin has targeted the Signal app, known for its encrypted communication. Blocking access to this app is part of a broader effort to regulate the flow of information in the country.

According to the Belarusian television station Belsat, on the morning of August 9 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, there was a significant increase in reports about issues accessing the Signal messenger. Users of this app filed over 1,800 complaints related to difficulties using its features.

Information indicates that access to the Signal app in Russia has been blocked. This means that users in Russia cannot freely use this application. To access Signal, residents of Russia must use a virtual private network (VPN).

Journalists from the independent Russian service Important Stories pointed out that the blocking of the Signal messenger in Russia has become a fact. Signal is a popular internet messenger that uses open-source code and advanced end-to-end encryption.

Such encryption ensures that only participants in the conversation can read the transmitted messages, protecting them from access by third parties, including internet service providers and potential hackers.

According to a report by the independent Russian newspaper Kommersant, Russian authorities had previously concentrated their efforts on blocking access to the YouTube platform. As reported by Belsat, Roskomnadzor—the Russian internet regulator—is currently conducting intensive actions aimed at collecting information about Google servers.

Russia's actions are part of a broader regulatory strategy aimed at controlling and restricting access to information on the internet. Propagandists from the Kremlin want to regulate the use of international communication and social platforms in this way.