Russia has completely blocked the U.S.-owned messaging service WhatsApp after determining that its parent company, Meta Platforms, failed to comply with domestic legislation, the Kremlin said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the decision had been carried out, citing Meta’s refusal to adhere to Russian law. “Due to Meta’s unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed taken and implemented,” Peskov told reporters, per Reuters. He encouraged citizens to adopt MAX, a state-supported messaging application, describing it as a viable replacement. “MAX is an accessible alternative, a developing messenger, a national messenger, and it is available on the market for citizens as an alternative,” he said.
Critics have raised concerns that MAX could function as a surveillance instrument, though Russian authorities reject such claims, according to Reuters.
The blocking of WhatsApp, which had been the most widely used messaging platform in Russia, follows approximately six months of mounting regulatory pressure on the company. The move forms part of a broader effort by Moscow to assert greater control over digital communications infrastructure during wartime, seeking to ensure that foreign technology firms either comply with local regulations or exit the market, according to Reuters.
Meta has already been designated as an extremist organization in Russia. WhatsApp previously objected to what it characterized as attempts to shut down its service entirely. “Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia,” the company said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Technical measures accompanying the ban included the removal of certain WhatsApp-related domain names from Russia’s national domain registry. As a result, devices within the country stopped receiving the app’s IP address data, effectively cutting off access unless users relied on virtual private networks, or VPNs, Reuters reported.
We’d love to be your preferred source for news.
Please add us to your preferred sources list so our news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks!
Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications regulator, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.
The decision prompted visible protest in Moscow. Activists briefly attached a bicycle lock to the doors of Roskomnadzor’s offices and displayed a sign reading: “Give us an unregulated internet – Russia without Roskomnadzor,” Reuters reported.
Read more: WhatsApp Gets Partial Relief On Its Data Privacy Policy In India – Appellate Tribunal Holds That Data Sharing with Meta Not an Abuse of Dominance
Public reaction in the capital appeared divided. Some residents expressed frustration, while others said alternative platforms would suffice. “Frankly I see this as negative because it’s in part a violation of our constitutional rights because it’s limiting freedom of choice,” said a woman who identified herself as Anna, according to Reuters. Another resident, Elena, said she did not see an issue with the change, noting the availability of other messaging services. Alyona, another Moscow resident, told Reuters she would continue using WhatsApp with a VPN for as long as possible before considering a switch to MAX.
Russian authorities have also restricted or blocked other foreign social media platforms, including Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, as part of their broader regulatory strategy. Officials have promoted MAX as a multifunctional application that integrates various government services and is intended to streamline daily life for citizens, according to Reuters.
Roskomnadzor first began limiting WhatsApp and other messaging services in August, preventing users from completing calls after accusing foreign platforms of failing to cooperate with law enforcement in cases involving fraud and terrorism. In December, the regulator announced additional measures to progressively tighten restrictions on WhatsApp, alleging continued violations of Russian law and accusing the platform of being used “to organize and carry out terrorist acts on the territory of the country, to recruit their perpetrators and to commit fraud and other crimes,” per Reuters.
Russian courts have also imposed fines on WhatsApp for not removing prohibited content, and authorities have said the company must establish a local representative office to meet compliance requirements.
Source: Reuters
Add as Preferred Source