Russia & Turkey Block Discord Over Content Violations

In the last 24 hours the governments of Russia and Turkey have effectively banned the Discord social media platform. Both countries cited the failure of the US-based messaging app to clean up illegal content.

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s censorship body, specifically said Discord is blocked for “violation of laws” and that the company had already been warned been times, which included a previous fine for failure to conform.

Compliance is required to “prevent the use of the messenger for terrorist and extremist services, recruitment of citizens to commit them, for drug sales, and in connection with unlawful information posting,” an official statement said.

Roskomnadzor had in the recent past ordered Discord to immediately remove about a thousand pieces of “illegal content.” It received several violations in September, leading to the new ban.

But Western media is also alleging this is part of Russia’s ongoing crackdown on speech and freedom of expression:

In addition to actually dangerous organizations, the Russian censorship laws target the opposition and non-governmental bodies critical of the Kremlin as “extremist” to limit their reach. Pro-Ukraine messaging and LGBT content are also banned under Russian laws.

Russia’s announcement came Tuesday, but merely hours later, on Wednesday, Turkey unveiled its own ban.

Turkey has said it moved against the platform to “protect” children and young people from online abuse. Turkey’s BTK communications authority referred to a court finding in Ankara which raised “suspicion” the app has been used for “the sexual abuse of children and obscenity”.

“We are determined to protect our young people and our children… from harmful and criminal publications on social media and the internet,” Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said.

Additionally, AFP writes that “Turkish media reports said some Discord users had posted messages hailing Friday’s double murder of two 19-year-old women in Istanbul while others had been using the platform to harass under-age girls.”

POV: You went to Turkey for vacation and scheduled a quick D&D session over Discord with a couple of mates who remain in Russia. pic.twitter.com/VSNmppqImR

— Ivan Khoroshev (@devancheque) October 9, 2024

Starting in August video game platform Roblox was banned in Turkey over immensely controversial content, including pornographic scenes, which authorities have blasted as harmful to children.