Russia confirmed Thursday that it is seeking to fully block WhatsApp access in the country, instead pushing users to use a state-sanctioned replacement for messaging.
While WhatsApp is Russia’s most popular messenger, the Kremlin urged millions to adopt Max, a domestic service that has been characterized by critics as a possible surveillance tool. The development follows a Wednesday announcement from Russian officials that Telegram would be further restricted nationwide, accusing it of failing to address regulatory violations. And it comes after Moscow has long targeted and restricted WhatsApp and other social media platforms owned by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, including by designating Meta as an extremist organization in 2022.
“Due to Meta’s unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed taken and implemented,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that citizens should adopt Max as a “national messenger.”
WhatsApp condemned the move in a statement to X, noting the company is doing “everything we can” to keep Russian users active on the platform.
“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 WhatsApp statement reads.
Some domain names associated with WhatsApp disappeared from Russia’s national register of domain names, meaning devices inside Russia stopped receiving its IP addresses from the app and could be accessed only by using a VPN connection, according to Reuters. While many users can still circumvent the ban through VPN, authorities are increasingly targeting the loophole, including by introducing fines for VPN providers.
Online calls from WhatsApp, Telegram, and Apple’s FaceTime had previously been restricted by the Kremlin, along with blocks on Signal, YouTube, and other Meta-owned platforms.
Restrictions on Telegram have raised particular concerns in Russia, due to the military’s reliance on the messaging platform for war communications in its battle against Ukraine.
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In a post earlier this week, Telegram founder Pavel Durov, a Russian native, rebuked the Kremlin over the censorship, saying it is trying to “force its citizens to switch to a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship.”
“Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right answer,” he said. “Telegram stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure.”