- Russian communications regulator threatens to completely block WhatsApp
- This decision is part of a broader crackdown on Internet freedoms.
- WhatsApp has around 97 million users in Russia
Russia has stepped up its crackdown on internet freedom, with the country’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor threatening to completely ban popular messaging service WhatsApp.
As reported by independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, the agency accused the Meta-owned platform of being used to “organize and carry out terrorist activities” and of not respecting Russian law.
It is the latest in a series of measures taken by the Kremlin to control the flow of information within its borders, a trend that has intensified since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
While progressive restrictions have already been in place against WhatsApp for months, including blocking voice calls since August, a total ban would deal a major blow to digital communication in the country. This, in an environment where the use of the best VPN applications is also increasingly restricted.
Russia’s approximately 97 million WhatsApp users would effectively be deprived of their ability to communicate freely and securely, hampering both their privacy and business activities. With Signal already blocked since 2024, users could be pushed toward state-controlled alternatives, like the new MAX app, which experts say has “huge surveillance potential.”
WhatsApp has so far resisted the Russian government’s demands, pledging to “continue to do everything in its power to make end-to-end encrypted communications accessible everywhere, including in Russia,” PK Press Club reported. The company framed the issue as a defense of the “right to secure communication,” a stance that places it in direct opposition to the Kremlin’s increasingly tight control over the digital sphere.
Growing digital censorship in Russia
The threat against WhatsApp is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a broader, more systematic effort by the Russian government to silence dissent and control the online landscape.
This comes as Russia has also designated Human Rights Watch an “undesirable” organization, banning its work in the country. The designation is part of a broader trend of labeling any group that criticizes the government as a threat to state security.
Since September, the Russian government has also required smartphone makers to pre-install its own state-backed messaging app, MAX, raising concerns about surveillance.
The government also recently introduced a bill that would force telecommunications operators to suspend their services at the request of the FSB, thereby strengthening state control over communications channels.
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