Russia and Turkey have blocked access to the messaging platform Discord, claiming that it refuses to cooperate with local authorities.

The San Francisco-based company said in a statement on its website that it is “aware of reports of Discord being unreachable” in the countries and is currently investigating the issue.

Russia’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, said on Tuesday that Discord was restricted “due to violations of local legislation.” The regulator claimed that by refusing to comply with local laws, the platform was being misused “for terrorist and extremist purposes, recruitment of citizens for such acts, and drug trafficking.”

Data from the internet watchdog NetBlocks confirmed that Discord had been restricted on multiple internet providers in Russia.

⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show messaging platform Discord has been restricted on multiple internet providers in #Russia; the measure comes as telecoms regulator Roskomnadzor announces that the service is in violation of Russian laws relating to "terrorist and extremist" content pic.twitter.com/EPijFmCjY7

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) October 8, 2024

Russian users have previously faced difficulties accessing the platform. In September, a Moscow court fined the company $36,000 for refusing to delete “forbidden” content, a fine which Russia claims Discord ignored. The service reportedly has up to 40 million users in Russia, according to local media reports, and is widely used in education and corporate communications.

Discord is particularly popular among gamers, as its voice chat feature allows players to communicate in real time. Due to its lack of strict moderation, the platform has also been actively used during the war in Ukraine by both sides, including for viewing drone footage and coordinating military operations.

The ban on Discord has sparked a backlash among Russian military bloggers and servicemen, who argued that other communication tools are often unavailable on the frontlines and that blocking the app could lead to more casualties and losses of military equipment.

Some Russian lawmakers also criticized the decision, highlighting that the service is useful for students and teachers and that Russia currently lacks a suitable local alternative.

On Russian developer forums, users are already discussing how to bypass the ban.

Turkey ban

In Turkey, Discord was banned following a court decision after the platform was accused of failing to cooperate with local authorities. The country’s telecommunications regulator stated that the platform has also been used for child abuse, blackmail, and online harassment.

⚠️ Confirmed: Metrics show messaging platform Discord is now restricted in #Turkey; the measure, implemented by regulator ICTA, follows heated debate over blackmail, doxxing, and bullying coordinated via the company's servers; Discord was also banned in Russia earlier today pic.twitter.com/fBHwYtXony

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) October 8, 2024

“We are determined to protect our youth and children and ensure that our future is free from harmful publications that constitute crimes on social media and the internet,” Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said in a statement on X.

The ban came amid public outrage following the murder of two women by a 19-year-old man in Istanbul earlier this month. Content on Discord had reportedly praised the violence.

Both Turkey and Russia have a history of restricting access to social media platforms, citing “security concerns.”

In August, Turkey blocked access to the popular video game platform Roblox over concerns about content that “could lead to the exploitation of children.” A Roblox spokesperson told Recorded Future News that the California-based company is working with Turkish authorities “to ensure Roblox is back online in Turkey as soon as possible.”

In July, Russia announced it was slowing YouTube's loading speeds in response to Google’s refusal to comply with Russian tech regulations. In August, Russia blocked the encrypted messaging app Signal for violating laws related to anti-terrorism operations.

Many Western services, including Microsoft, productivity and note-taking app Notion, Czech antivirus developer Avast, and developer platform Docker Hub, left Russia earlier this year due to sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.