Belarus likely tests blocking social media and messaging apps ahead of presidential election
Nation10 January 2025, 05:45 PM
Belarus may have tested blocking social networks and messengers overnight on Jan. 9, the Belarusian outlet Nasha Niva reported on Telegram.
YouTube did not work in the country overnight without a VPN, and Telegram, TikTok, and other services were also unavailable. Locals reported that the problems began at around 1:30 a.m., and access began to appear a few hours later.
Local internet service providers attributed the disruptions to "planned maintenance."
"It seems the authorities are preparing to block the internet during the elections," the news agency wrote.
The presidential elections in Belarus are scheduled for Jan. 26, 2025.