Authorities have stated that the instant messaging platform refused to provide requested information related to "criminal content." This action follows the announcement of a similar ban by Russia a day earlier.

Turkey has blocked access to the social media platform Discord as of Wednesday, according to a statement released by the BTK communications authority. The decision follows an Ankara court's ruling, which was prompted by sufficient suspicion that crimes, specifically "child sexual abuse and obscenity," had been committed by some users of the platform.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc expressed the government’s commitment to safeguarding young people and children from harmful and criminal content present on social media and the internet. In a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, he emphasized the need for such protective measures.

This action in Turkey comes shortly after Russia's telecom watchdog announced a ban on Discord, stating that the intention behind this move was to "prevent the use of messaging for terrorist and extremist purposes."

In response to the news about its accessibility issues in both Russia and Turkey, Discord, a San Francisco-based company, acknowledged the reports and confirmed that its team was investigating the situation.

The blocking of Discord in Turkey is part of a broader public outcry following the tragic killing of two women by a 19-year-old man in Istanbul last Friday. Reports indicate that some users on Discord praised the attack in the aftermath, leading to heightened scrutiny of the platform.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu pointed out that the nature of the Discord platform poses challenges for authorities when it comes to monitoring and intervening in instances where illegal or criminal content is shared. He further explained that due to Discord’s refusal to provide necessary information, such as IP addresses and content details, to security units, the government felt compelled to implement a block on access.

Earlier in August, Turkey had also banned access to the video game platform Roblox, citing concerns over content deemed harmful to children. Furthermore, there was a temporary block on Instagram for several days.

Discord, a popular US-based social media platform with approximately 150 million users, serves as a free platform for sharing text, audio, and video. It is widely used not only by video game enthusiasts but also as an internal messaging system by numerous companies, providing an alternative for those who have moved away from platforms like X and Facebook.