Roskomnadzor
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Russia follows through on retaliation promise, bans Instagram
Russia has banned Instagram as it promised days earlier.
Russia bans Zello's walkie-talkie app
Russia is further cracking down on political dissent by banning Zello's walkie-talkie app.
Russia threatens to block Wikipedia over Ukraine invasion article
Its communications regulator cited 'illegally distributed information' about casualty figures.
Russia says Facebook and Twitter are violating data laws
Russia has long wanted heavyweight social networks to store data inside the country, but now that's becoming more than a vague threat. Communications overseer Roskomnadzor has started "administrative proceedings" against Facebook and Twitter after they allegedly failed to submit specific plans for storing Russian users' data within the country's borders. It claimed to have sent both companies letters on December 17th telling them they had 30 days to provide a "legally valid" answer, but didn't get a useful response back.
Russia may fine Google for failing to remove banned websites
Russia's internet watchdog, Roskomnadzor, is looking to fine Google for failing to remove banned websites from its search results. The agency has filed charges against the company and Google could face a fine of up to RUB 700,000 ($10,450) if it's found to be in violation of Russia's laws. The regulator is also seeking to have Google join a state registry that lists websites banned by the country.
Russia stops at nothing to silence Telegram
The protracted fight between the Russian government and encrypted messaging app Telegram is coming to an end. Last week, the country's court granted a request for the app to be banned, enabling officials to begin work on booting it out of the country. Then, yesterday Roskomnadzor, Russia's equivalent of the FCC, began telling mobile networks that they had to block access to Telegram.
Reddit rolls over to please Russia's authorities
Remember the tale of how Reddit managed to get itself banned in Russia because of a thread that promoted the growing of psychedelic mushrooms? A few days later and the site has returned, mostly because it rolled over and locally blocked the offending content to please the country's internet regulator, Roskomnadzor. The move has attracted criticism from the user who posted the piece originally, saying that the site shouldn't give in to the demands. The plea fell on deaf ears over at Reddit HQ, however, since the company is still suffering through an existential crisis about what forms of speech it will and won't allow.
Russia's head of censorship ***** after being censored on ********
An aide to Vladimir Putin has told Russians to leave Facebook after the head of the country's telecommunications regulator was censored by the social network. As the Moscow Times reports, Maxim Ksensov was given a 24-hour time out after posting an ethnic slur for Ukranians on his personal page. The paper believes that the word has now been blacklisted by the service and will be instantly deleted if it's found. In response, Putin aide Igor Shchegolev has instructed locals to abandon Facebook in favor of Vkontakte, its homegrown alternative.
Russia starts banning Bitcoin websites
You'd think that a collapsing rouble, plunging oil prices and with trade sanctions at every turn, Russia would have more important things to deal with than Bitcoin. That's why it's such a surprise to see the nation's equivalent of the FCC banning five websites related to the cryptocurrency. In addition to two Russian-language pages, the blacklist includes the "main" Bitcoin foundation website, the Bitcoin wiki and London-based Bitcoin exchange Indacoin.
