"Discord access has been blocked in Russia."

The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media of Russia (Roskomnadzor) announced that the popular messaging and social media application Discord has been blocked in the country for failing to meet legal requirements. According to the Russian TASS news agency, it was stated in a statement from Roskomnadzor's press service that the Discord messaging application violated Russian laws.

In the statement, it was noted that the application was used for terrorist and extremist purposes, that citizens were deceived for these purposes, and that it facilitated drug sales and the dissemination of illegal information. For these reasons, it was expressed that a decision was made to block the application.

The statement reminded that last year, Discord was fined 6 million rubles (approximately 62 thousand dollars) by a court decision for not removing illegal information from the application.

Roskomnadzor had previously sent a request to the Discord management to remove 947 illegal materials.

WHAT IS DISCORD?

Discord, a US-based instant messaging and digital distribution platform, has a large number of users in Turkey as well. Launched in November 2015, the platform was initially used primarily among local network players and Twitch streamers.

Subsequently, Discord was developed to meet the communication needs of all kinds of communities, not just gamers, and offers users the opportunity for voice and video calls. Discord's chat rooms also provide various integrations with games.

Communities such as hobby groups and book clubs can be created on Discord, and discussions can take place there. Events, game nights, and watch parties can also be organized through Discord. Students and teachers can create classes and study groups.