Discord blocked in Russia and Turkey for spreading illegal content

Discord has been suddenly blocked in Russia and Turkey since yesterday due to illegal activity residing on the platform, leaving legitimate users in those countries unable to visit the website or connect to the service.

While Discord started as a communication and community-building space for gamers, it has since expanded to include a broad spectrum of interest groups and professionals from various industries, allowing them to create "servers" where members can find dedicated channels for different conversation topics.

However, the platform has also become a hotbed of illegal activity, with hacking groups and threat actors using the platform to plan cyberattacks, conduct cybercrime, or receive stolen data.

Starting yesterday, many Discord users reported on Reddit (1, 2) that they can no longer load the website or app unless they use a VPN or proxy, which works effectively as a temporary solution for now.

"Sadly this is true, my friend is only able to use it with a VPN now. Russia is really banning everything..," commented a user on Reddit.

BleepingComputer tested connecting to Discord through a VPN server in Turkey, and the software was unable to load as it could not connect to the company's update servers. Once we disconnected the VPN, we were once again able to connect.

The blocks on both Russia and Turkey came suddenly and without warning, and many impacted users have taken online to protest the decision.

The Russian internet watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has confirmed via a statement to local media that access to Discord was blocked due to violations of national legislation. 

"Access to the Discord messenger is limited in connection with the violation of the requirements of Russian legislation, the implementation of which is necessary to prevent the use of the messenger for terrorist and extremist purposes, the recruitment of citizens for their commission, the sale of drugs, in connection with the placement of illegal information." – Roskomnadzor

Anton Gorelkin, the deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on information policy, added that Discord refused to comply with Russian laws and enter a dialogue with Roskomnadzor, which led to "extreme measures," aka blocks.

In Turkey, Discord was reportedly blocked following an Ankara court decision in a case involving child abuse and obscenity content allegedly hosted on the platform.

Yilmaz Tunc, the Turkish Minister of Justice, stated on X that Discord violated Article 8/1 of Law No. 565.

Additionally, it is reported that the government had national security concerns about Discord being used to organize protests and disseminate false information.

Users on Discord have had varied success using VPNs to bypass the block—some VPNs successfully work, while others fail. Furthermore, many VPN services are banned in these two countries, and using them could lead to legal prosecution.

BleepingComputer contacted Discord for a statement about the blocks, and we will update this post as soon as we receive one.