Chinese Internet giant Tencent, the developer of WeChat, said on Saturday it was "deeply sorry" its messaging app was blocked by Russia, adding it was in touch with authorities to resolve the issue.
"We're experiencing a block and we're deeply sorry," a company official said on a Tencent microblog.
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"Russian regulations say online service providers have to register with the government but WeChat doesn't have the same understanding (of the rules)," the official added.
On Friday, Russian telecom watchdog, Roskomnadzor, placed China’s WeChat messenger on a list of websites blocked within the country.
A Roskomnadzor spokesman stated the block was due to WeChat’s violation of Article 15.4 of the law on information, technologies and security. The law basically states each individual service needs to be registered with the appropriate state agency within six months of implementation.
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The same law also states information exchanged between users and WeChat’s servers (voice information, written text, images, sounds, video or other electronic messages) is required to be stored on Russian territory.
Previous sites that have been blocked by Article 15.4 include messenger BlackBerry, Imo, Line, Vchat video chat and online radio Zello, according to a report by RBC TV.
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The block of WeChat within Russia has already triggered widespread complaints among Chinese citizens living there and others who use the app for daily life and work.
WeChat, with over 889 million active users worldwide, is more than a chat tool. It also offers services like payment, doctor appointment booking, ride-hailing, and ticket booking and so on.
(CGTN’s Daria Bondarchuk contributed to this story.)
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