Discord Faces Ban Amid Russian Regulatory Crackdown

Russia has blocked the messaging app Discord for breaching national laws, amid a broader crackdown on foreign technology platforms. Discord is just the latest in a series of social media services restricted by Russia, following similar actions against Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram since 2022.

Russia's communications watchdog has blocked the instant messaging service Discord, citing violations of Russian law, according to TASS news agency on Tuesday. The San Francisco-based company joins an expanding list of restricted foreign tech platforms in Russia.

Discord has not responded to requests for comment. For years, Russia has mandated that foreign tech services remove what it considers illegal content, imposing modest but frequent fines for non-compliance.

Roskomnadzor, the regulator, required Discord to eliminate nearly 1,000 items it found illegal last week and has previously fined the platform for failing to remove prohibited content. Russia had already blocked Twitter, now rebranded as X, and Meta Platforms' Facebook and Instagram following the Ukraine invasion in February 2022.

(With inputs from agencies.)