Russia bans Chinese instant messaging app WeChat

06 May 2017

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Russia had banned Chinese instant messaging app WeChat, for failing to register with the appropriate authorities, Vadim Ampelonsky, spokesman of Russian telecommunication watchdog Roskomnadzor, said yesterday.

"WeChat did not provide the contact information necessary for registration with authorities", Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

WeChat, owned by China's IT giant Tencent was the most popular messenger app in China and was widely used by Chinese nationals living overseas.

According to Tencent's spokesman Zhang Jun, the company was in contact with Russian authorities regarding the issue.

Earlier on Tuesday, Roskomnadzor also blocked Messenger, Line and Vchat without offering details.

In a brief statement, the Shenzhen-based company said, Tencent was aware of the move and was communicating with Russian authorities over the matter.

Internet service providers in Russia are required to register with related government bodies, but Tencent said it ''had a different understanding'' on this issue.

According to commentators, WeChat with around 900 million users worldwide was the latest chat and messaging platform to be blocked by Moscow's communications and media regulator after BlackBerry Messenger, Line and Vchat.

Russia was trying to follow China's internet censorship strategy, according to a recent article by Emily Parker, a fellow at New America, a non-profit think tank.

In an article that Park wrote last month, she said the Russians enjoyed an internet that was mostly unrestricted a few years ago, however, Russia was pursuing China's model of internet control, prompted partly by the recognition that unfettered internet had helped foster anti-government protests.

In a revision of its data privacy law in 2015, all companies in Russia processing personal data of Russian citizens are required to store it on servers within Russia and provide it to law enforcement agencies if required. Companies that failed to comply will be banned, which was on similar lines to the rules governing China's cyberspace.

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