A new law that went into effect yesterday will bar Russian government officials from using messaging apps developed and operated by foreign companies.
Parts 8-10 of Article 10 of the new law – on information, information technology and information protection – apply to government agencies and organizations.
“The law bans many Russian organizations from using foreign messengers (information systems and computer programs owned by foreigners, designed and/or used to exchange messages exclusively between users and send (determined by the person who is the recipient of the message and Internet users cannot place information published on the Internet),” said Roskomnadzor, the regulator. .
Services listed as part of the ban are Discord, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Snapchat, Telegram, Threema, Viber, WhatsApp and WeChat.
With notable exceptions such as Zoom and Signal, the list is not exhaustive so far, but more may be added over time.
Restrictions have probably been placed on government officials to minimize the chances of classified information reaching Ukrainian allies. US-led intelligence agencies have occasionally exposed Russia’s plans during the war, including the initial invasion, to minimize the Kremlin’s strategic and geopolitical advantage.
But the move could also be seen as part of Russia’s broader crackdown on foreign tech services, which has been going on for years as the Putin administration seeks to crush dissent and dominate media discourse.
It tries to do so through tacit state media and 24-hour television propaganda, but young Russians are more likely to get their news online, which poses a threat to the regime.
Telegram was officially banned in Russia until 2018. The country now also blocks hundreds of news sites and foreign social networking platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. It also seeks to crack down on the use of VPNs and Tor, which are widely used to evade such efforts.
