Russians experience problems with Signal messenger app: Russian media report blocking

Russian users of the Signal messenger app have encountered issues with the service.

Source: data by Downradar, a service which tracks and reports online service disruptions in real time

Details: The outage for Russian Signal users reportedly occurred on the morning of 9 August. It affected various regions of Russia, including Moscow. The outage was also reported in Siberia.

Russian journalists suggest that Signal has been blocked in Russia. The Russian authorities have not commented officially on the matter.

The messenger cannot be opened without a VPN or another way to bypass blocks.

It is noted that Signal uses an end-to-end encryption protocol for all chats. This allows messages to be protected from interception by mobile operators and secret services.

Background:

• On 8 August, Russian YouTube users started complaining about the complete shutdown of the video hosting service.
• The Kremlin-controlled VK corporation has begun developing a new "national messenger" to replace the WhatsApp app, which Russian authorities may block this autumn.

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