Kremlin tightens control on messaging apps
Russia blocks WhatsApp as part of a broader crackdown on foreign messaging platforms, with authorities citing legal non-compliance and security concerns.
Meta-owned WhatsApp said the move aimed to push more than 100 million of its users in Russia towards a “state-owned surveillance app”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC that the decision had been made “due to [Meta’s] unwillingness to comply with the norms and the letter of Russian law”. He added that Meta could resume operations if it “complies with [the law] and enters into dialogue”.
Asked whether authorities were attempting to force Russians to use the state-developed Max app, Peskov said the “national messenger [is an] available alternative” for citizens.
Telegram access also curtailed
Russia’s internet regulator Roskomnadzor said this week it was further curbing access to Telegram, citing a lack of security. Telegram is widely used in Russia and is said to be popular among its forces in Ukraine.
Pro-war bloggers have complained that the move has hampered communications on the ground.
Even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian authorities had begun developing a domestic alternative to the global internet. Those efforts have accelerated during the war, alongside a push for the state-backed platform Max.
Critics allege that Max could be used for surveillance by Russian authorities, although state media have denied this. The app is now widely promoted across Russia through television advertising, billboards and endorsements by local officials.
Data storage and fraud concerns cited
Moscow argues that both WhatsApp and Telegram have refused to store Russian users’ data within the country as required by law. Authorities also allege that WhatsApp is frequently used to defraud and extort money from Russians, citing this as another reason for users to migrate to Max.
WhatsApp said it was doing everything possible to keep people connected.
“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.
State-run news agency Tass reported earlier this year that WhatsApp was expected to be permanently blocked in the country in 2026.
Russian official Andrei Svintsov described “such harsh measures” as “absolutely justified”, noting that Russia has designated Meta as an extremist organisation.
Wider digital restrictions
WhatsApp had previously been Russia’s most popular messaging service. Since Meta was labelled extremist in 2022, its platforms including Facebook and Instagram have been blocked in Russia and are accessible only through virtual private networks (VPNs). Russians are not banned from using its products.
Digital rights project Na Svyazi (In Touch) reported that Russia has increasingly been removing websites from the state-run internet address directory controlled by Roskomnadzor.
It said 13 popular resources are now missing from the National System of Domain Names (NSDI), including YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp Web, Instagram, the BBC and Deutsche Welle. Once removed, the sites cannot be accessed without a VPN.
Push for state-developed Max app
Moscow has made extensive efforts to promote the state-developed Max app, which critics say lacks end-to-end encryption and could therefore be accessed by authorities.
The app has been compared to China’s WeChat, described as a “super app” combining messaging and government services.
Since 2025, authorities have mandated that Max be pre-installed on all new devices sold in Russia. There have also been reports of public sector employees, teachers and students being increasingly required to use the platform.
Telegram’s chief executive, Pavel Durov, said the state was restricting access to Telegram in an attempt to force citizens to use its own app for surveillance and political censorship.
Iran has previously attempted a similar strategy by banning Telegram and promoting a state-run alternative, though citizens found ways to bypass the restrictions, Durov wrote online.
“Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right answer,” he said.
Source: BBC
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