Russia has banned Discord, with Turkey following suit shortly after, citing that the app violated the law by failing to remove illegal content from its platform and refusing to assist the authorities.
Banning the popular instant messenger platform has left countless people cut off from their online communities. However, as unfortunate as it is, this is not the first time Russia (or Turkey) has banned Western platforms – YouTube was recently restricted in Russia, too.
The good news is that it's possible to regain access to Discord (and other blocked sites) in Russia and Turkey with the help of a VPN. Read on to find out why these countries have banned Discord and how you can use today's best VPNs to unblock government-restricted content.
Why is Discord banned?
The ban is the consequence of Discord "violating Russian law", and happened after Discord refused to delete flagged items deemed illegal. Roskomnadzor, Russia's internet regulator, ordered Discord last week to delete around 1,000 channels and pages from its platform.
Basically, any content that criticizes the Russia-Ukraine war or any Russian officials, supports LGBT activism, or promotes content by the Kremlin's opposition is considered illegal under Russian law. Discord failed to delete all such content from its platform and was, therefore. banned across the country.
Roskomnadzor stated that the ban was enforced to prevent the platform from being used for, among other things, extremist purposes, the sale of drugs, and the posting of illegal information. It's also worth noting that Discord was fined by a Moscow court last month for "failing to delete prohibited information."
Discord was also fined by a Moscow court last month for "failing to delete prohibited information."
Interestingly, however, the Russian government, by banning Discord, has angered the Russian military that was using the app to coordinate troops on the battlefield in the country's ongoing conflict against Ukraine. According to reports, the sudden ban on Discord caught the Russian military off guard, and as a result, they were left without proper communications.
Discord isn't the first Western app Russia has banned. Popular platforms such as Facebook, X, and Instagram are also restricted, making it harder for folks in Russia to stay in touch and keep up with the current affairs around the world.
Turkey's Discord ban
Turkey banned Discord after the company failed to hand over requested user data to the government. The authorities claimed to have evidence that the platform was being used by bad actors to commit child sexual abuse and obscenity offenses. One such instance includes the glorification of the murder of two women in Istanbul earlier this month.
Turkish authorities said that Discord refused to share any IP addresses and content with them to allow them to monitor and prevent crimes and illegal activity, and this is why it has been banned.
Note that Discord has said that it is aware of the service being “unreachable” in Russia and Turkey and is investigating the matter.
How to access Discord
If you're currently in Russia or Turkey, or planning to travel there soon, and would like to continue using Discord, a secure VPN is the answer.
All you need to do is open the VPN app and connect to a server outside Russia or Turkey. A virtual private network (VPN) spoofs your real IP address and fools ISPs into thinking that you're physically located in the same place VPN server. This helps you sidestep geo-restrictions and government-imposed bans on all kinds of sites, including platforms like Discord, Instagram, and X, independent news channels, and even streaming services like Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
A VPN also encrypts your web traffic by routing it through an end-to-end encrypted tunnel on one of its own servers and not your ISP's. This will keep your messages and any data you share over the internet private. Additionally, we recommend connecting to VPN servers in privacy havens such as Switzerland for even better privacy and security from prying eyes.
