The decision comes shortly after multiple reports of Discord crashing across Russia pointed to an impending cap.

Why was Discord blocked?

Roskomnadzor said Discord did not comply with Russian legislation, especially in terms of preventing the platform from being used in illegal activities such as terrorism, extremism and drug sales.

According to Russian media, the ministry’s press service confirmed that the blocking was necessary to prevent the spread of “illegal information” and stop the platform being used to recruit people to commit crimes. The decision follows a series of warnings and fines imposed on the platform over the past few months.

• Since September 20, 2024, RKN has issued five separate decisions highlighting that Discord violates Russian law.
• In late September, Roskomnadzor also warned Discord that 947 content deemed illegal under Russian law should be removed, but the platform was criticized for not taking timely action.
• It was emphasized that Discord, which was initially developed as a communication tool for online games, has become a popular platform for criminal activities in Russia due to its moderation of inappropriate content.

This isn’t the first time Discord has faced “criminal sanctions” in Russia.

In July 2023, the platform was fined 6 million rubles for “failure to remove prohibited content”, and at the end of September it was fined another 3.5 million rubles for similar violations.

Despite these measures, Roskomnadzor noted that Discord administration was not proactive enough in eliminating illegal materials.

How will it affect the Russians?

Considering that Discord has 29 to 40 million registered users in Russia, banning it is an important step. While the platform remains particularly popular among gamers, it has also become a widely used tool for corporate communications.

The ban is expected to affect a number of users who rely on the platform for both personal and professional communication.