Last week, Russia’s federal censorship agency blocked video and audio calls on the country’s two most popular messaging apps, Telegram and WhatsApp, claiming the move was meant to combat fraud. Meduza asked our Russian readers to share how this new policy has already affected their lives. Responses poured in, full of frustration and despair: for many older people, these apps were the only reliable way to stay in touch with relatives elsewhere in Russia or abroad. For others, voice calls were an essential part of their work. Below are some of the responses we received, translated and lightly edited for length and clarity. For safety, we’ve omitted readers’ names but included the regions they wrote from.