Roskomnadzor included Viber in the register of organizers of information dissemination

Companies included in the ORI must store information about users, data on their actions, correspondence, photographs, audio and video calls and transfer them to the FSB upon request, Roskomsvoboda noted. Constant access of security forces to this information must be ensured using special equipment, which the company must install at its own expense.

In December, RKN blocked Viber due to violations of Russian law. The department explained that “its implementation is necessary to prevent threats to use the messenger for terrorist and extremist purposes.”

Anton Nemkin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, said that over the past two years, the amount of fines imposed on Viber exceeded 1.8 million rubles. The deputy noted that the fines have not yet been paid and that the administration of the messenger ignores Russian laws and does not remove content prohibited in the country.

In December, RKN included WhatsApp, Skype, encrypted communication and collaboration app Wire and other services on the ARI registry. Both Viber and WhatsApp are among the most popular instant messaging apps among Russians: Nearly 80% of Russians use WhatsApp monthly and 26% use Viber, according to Mediascope data from November.