Russia and Venezuela have blocked access to the encrypted messaging app Signal. .
Russian news agency The news broke that the Signal app has been blocked in Russia. According to Russian reports, Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor restricted the app for “violating the requirements of Russian law necessary to prevent messengers from being used for terrorist and extremist purposes.”
Cyber ​​Security Tracker Russia said on Friday it had restricted access to Signal from “most internet providers.” Netblocks also noted that users can still use the app by enabling “censorship evasion” in Signal’s settings. For users whose messages are blocked in both regions.
The signal blackout in Venezuela comes in the long shadow of the results of a disputed presidential election that has been roiling the country since late July. Venezuelan electoral officials declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner without releasing any evidence of victory, sparking protests from opponents and supporters of Maduro’s rival, Edmundo Gonzalez, according to Venezuela’s electoral commission. .
Both territories have blocked access to other similar social media apps, likely as a way to silence dissent. The company blocked its owner, Elon Musk, for a 10-day period earlier today, accusing him of inciting hatred and “violating” the social network’s rules. The report also said there was a “major YouTube outage” in Russia on Thursday.
