MOSCOW, May 2 (RAPSI) - Four messaging services have been blocked in Russia by the communications regulator Roskomnadzor, the RosKomSvoboda NGO announced on its website on Tuesday.

Websites and IP addresses of BlackBerry Messenger, Imo and Line messengers and Vchat audiovisual chat have been blacklisted after the services’ refusal to provide the Russian authorities with information concerning their users, the statement reads. Moreover, messengers declined to recognize themselves as organizers of distributing information.

Earlier, Roskomnadzor blocked Zello, a free push-to-talk application for smartphones, tablets, and PCs. The service failed to follow regulations for organizers of information dissemination and give the data on users to Russia’s law enforcement authorities.

According to the Federal Law “On Information, Information Technologies and the Protection of Information”, organizers of information distribution on the Internet must submit information about users and their messages to the authorized governmental bodies conducting investigative activities and ensuring the state security.