Roskomnadzor Blocks SoundCloud Streaming Application For Spreading Lies

SoundCloud app is blocked in Russia. (photo: twitter @soundcloud)

JAKARTA – Russia continues to block and block various applications belonging to Western companies that are not in line with their policies. Especially after the invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian government has also restricted access to music streaming app SoundCloud, citing the spread of "false information" about what Moscow calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine. This access restriction was first reported by the Interfax news agency on Sunday, October 2 citing communications watchdog Roskomnadzor (RKN).

Russia has been battling big tech companies to control the flow of information after sending troops to Ukraine on February 24. They have slowed down their Twitter service and banned Facebook and Instagram from Meta Platform Inc., from operating in their country.

"Roskomnadzor restricted access to the SoundCloud service in connection with the placement of materials containing false information regarding the nature of special military operations on Ukrainian territory," Interfax quoted RKN as saying.

According to the report, access to the service was blocked by order of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office. They also added that the information related to special operations forms and methods of warfare including "attacks on civilians, attacks on civilian infrastructure, about many civilian casualties at the hands of Russian soldiers".

Russia has been continuously closing social media access to its people and pushing local applications for more dominance. But this got a reply from Apple when it blocked VK's application in the App Store application store.