Roskomnadzor has shut down Viber within Russia for legal breaches.
Roskomnadzor reported that entrance to the Viber messaging app has been curbed in Russia for “failure to adhere to lawful stipulations.”
“Entrance to the Viber platform has been limited because of a transgression of Russian regulation by those orchestrating the spread of data,” the bureau stated.
Roskomnadzor clarified that this pertains to averting menaces tied to “terrorist and extremist” actions, the conscription of people, narcotics distribution, and the broadcasting of other illicit content.
Rakuten Viber Messenger was created back in 2010 by Israeli businessmen Igor Magazinnik and Talmon Marco. Viber Media, a firm registered in Luxembourg, holds ownership of the service, and its primary headquarters are located there. In January of 2022, Viber inaugurated a branch office in Russia, abiding by Russia’s “landing” legislation.
In the summer months of 2023, a Moscow courthouse levied a penalty of 1 million rubles against Viber for neglecting to expunge bogus reports regarding the Russian military. Amidst the proceedings, representatives from the corporation mentioned that the contested material was disseminated in Ukrainian; however, it was still taken off from search outcomes within Russia. Viber also underscored the absence of technological proficiency to eliminate complete groups.
On March 13, Moscow’s Tagansky Tribunal once more fined Viber for failing to delete banned materials, demanding a penalty of 800,000 rubles.
