\n<\/p>\n
Signal is being blocked in Venezuela and Russia. The app is a popular choice for encrypted messaging and people trying to avoid government censorship, and the blocks appear to be part of a crackdown on internal dissent in both countries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In Venezuela, the blockage follows the disputed results of the country\u2019s presidential election last month, which have led to protests and arrests as president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro clings to power, according to MSNBC<\/a>. (The US has recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonz\u00e1lez as the winner of the election<\/a>.) Internet monitoring service NetBlocks said Thursday evening that Signal had become<\/a> \u201cunreachable on multiple internet providers\u201d in the country. Maduro has also ordered a block on X, The Associated Press<\/em> reports<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n In Russia, the country\u2019s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, says that Signal violated Russian legislation, reports Interfax<\/em><\/a>. People in Russia also can\u2019t register a new Signal account without using a VPN, Reuters<\/em> reports<\/a>. Russia has \u201crestricted Signal messaging app backends on most internet providers\u201d as of Friday afternoon, NetBlocks says<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe\u2019re aware of reports that access to Signal has been blocked in some countries,\u201d Signal says<\/a>. If you are affected by the blocks, the company recommends turning on its censorship circumvention feature. (NetBlocks reports that this feature lets Signal \u201cremain usable\u201d in Russia.) Signal didn\u2019t immediately reply to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Users in Russia have also reported a mass YouTube outage in the country, according to VOA News<\/a>. \u201cWe are aware of reports of some people not being able to access YouTube in Russia,\u201d YouTube spokesperson Ciaran Ward tells The Verge<\/em>. \u201cThat is not as a result of any technical issues on our side or action taken by us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n