Digital ‘blackout’ in Russia! Many global platforms including WhatsApp, YouTube and Instagram closed, know the reason

Country. Access to many major international digital platforms has suddenly stopped in Russia. According to media reports, popular social media platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook are no longer working within the country. It is being told that the domain names of these websites have been removed from the National Domain Name System (DNS) of Russia, due to which users are not able to access them.

Websites became ‘invisible’-
Till now, action like slowing down the speed of some foreign platforms was taken in Russia, but this time the situation is different. As part of the latest move, the websites concerned have become completely “invisible”. When users try to open these sites, the system is unable to find the corresponding IP address. As a result a message appears on the screen that no such domain exists.

International media sites also affected-
According to reports, not only social media but also the websites of many international media organizations have been hit by this action. Access to major news sites such as the BBC, Deutsche Welle and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has also been disrupted. Apart from this, Tor Browser used for anonymous browsing has also been blocked.

National DNS and ‘Sovereign Internet’ Laws-
Internet service providers in Russia are mandated to use the national DNS system. The system operates under the supervision of a government agency called Roskomnadzor, which regulates online activities under a “sovereign internet” law.

It is being told that from 2021 onwards, Russia had gradually started banning the use of alternative services like Google DNS. The current step is being considered as a big and strict decision towards internet control.

Strict noose on foreign digital platforms-
Experts believe that this action is an important step towards virtually eliminating the reach of foreign digital platforms and media organizations in Russia. Due to this, people living within the country may be cut off from many global services and independent news sources.