Russia bans Zello’s walkie-talkie app
Russia’s ongoing campaign to block social apps during the invasion of Ukraine now includes voice clients. ZDNet report Russia’s telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor has forbidden walkie-talkie app Zello claims users spread “misinformation” about the invasion (which Russia falsely labeled a “special operation”). Officials said they asked Zello to block the transmission of the offending messages on March 4, but it “did not comply” with the request.
Russia blocked Zello in 2017 after it failed to comply with a 2016 law requiring inbound chat and user data storage. Zello defied the move, developing a workaround to keep the software usable. The app has been popular with detractors despite its job-oriented focus. Prior to the invasion of Ukraine, vaccine proxies in Canada and elsewhere used Zello to coordinate their protests.
The crackdown was mostly expected. Russia hastily cut off access to many major social platforms, including Facebook and Twitterat the same time make it illegal for the media to share anything other than the official Putin administration narrative on Ukraine. Zello also has soar popular since the invasion began. In theory, the ban helps Russia silence dissent, especially when it involves coordination between Ukrainians and sympathetic Russians.
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