**Russia Blocks Viber Messaging App**
Russian authorities have blocked the popular messaging app Viber. This is part of a wider crackdown on social media platforms in the country.
According to Russian regulators, Viber was banned because it failed to follow rules aimed at stopping terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking. The move is likely to affect many people in Russia who use Viber.
Viber had a big user base in Russia, with around 26% of the population aged 12 or older using the app in October 2023. About 14% of users accessed it every day.
This isn’t the first time Russian authorities have taken action against social media platforms. In 2022, they blocked access to X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.
As a result of these actions, Russia also completely banned Facebook and Instagram in March 2022. Since then, Viber has faced fines totaling over 1.8 million rubles ($17,402 USD) for violating national laws.
**Background**
Viber is owned by Japanese company Rakuten, which bought it for $900 million in 2014.