BREAKING: Tyrants Tighten Grip on Free Speech, Signal Blocked in Venezuela and Russia
In a brazen attack on freedom of expression, authoritarian regimes in Venezuela and Russia have blocked the popular encrypted messaging app Signal, used by millions to evade government censorship and persecution.
In Venezuela, the move is seen as a desperate attempt by President Nicolás Maduro to silence dissent following his disputed re-election last month. Despite the US recognizing opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner, Maduro has resorted to blocking Signal and X, another popular app, in a bid to crush internal dissent.
Meanwhile, in Russia, the government’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has accused Signal of violating Russian legislation, a thinly veiled attempt to justify the blockage. People in Russia are now forced to use VPNs to access the app, a draconian measure that further erodes the country’s already fragile internet freedoms.
"We’re aware of reports that access to Signal has been blocked in some countries," a Signal spokesperson said, cryptically. But the company’s recommended censorship circumvention feature is unlikely to satisfy the demands of these authoritarian regimes, who seek to control every aspect of their citizens’ online lives.
As the global digital landscape continues to deteriorate, the blocking of Signal in Venezuela and Russia serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which governments will go to stifle free speech and silence opposition. The world must stand together to defend the fundamental right to communicate and resist the creeping tide of censorship and authoritarianism.
