Russian authorities have confirmed a full block of the Meta-owned WhatsApp messaging service inside the country after citing what they describe as noncompliance with domestic law, coming on the heels of stepped-up restrictions on Telegram; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the move aims to push users toward the state-endorsed messenger app MAX, with WhatsApp warning that isolating over 100 million users from secure communications represents a backward step for personal privacy and safety.
Sources
https://www.theepochtimes.com/tech/whatsapp-blocked-in-russia-following-telegram-restrictions-5984631
https://www.reuters.com/technology/whatsapp-complains-about-restrictions-russia-after-reported-slowdown-2025-12-23/
https://www.ft.com/content/468ebeec-3d38-4f8c-8513-97f533d8f43b
Key Takeaways
• Russian regulators have fully blocked access to WhatsApp, citing the messaging app’s failure to comply with Russian legal requirements.
• The ban follows recent throttling and partial restrictions on Telegram and is seen as part of a broader strategy to migrate users toward a domestic alternative, MAX.
• Meta and external observers warn the move undercuts private and secure communications for tens of millions of users and tightens state controls over digital space.
In-Depth
In a significant escalation of Russia’s ongoing internet control campaign, the Kremlin has now fully blocked access to WhatsApp, the widely used messaging platform owned by Meta Platforms. Russian authorities, through spokesman Dmitri Peskov, publicly framed the ban as a legal compliance issue, arguing that WhatsApp failed to obey Russian data and messaging laws. With more than 100 million users in the country prior to the block, the decision represents one of the most consequential moves against foreign tech platforms by Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine prompted tighter media and digital restrictions. Although the state claims it is enforcing its sovereign legal standards, observers both inside Russia and abroad see this as part of a broader strategy to centralize digital communication under government oversight and shift users toward state-backed alternatives. At the center of this strategy is MAX, a homegrown messenger heavily promoted by the Kremlin and required preinstalled on new devices, which critics describe as lacking the privacy protections of Western encrypted services and effectively functioning as a surveillance tool.
Prior to the full block of WhatsApp, Russian regulators had incrementally restricted its services throughout 2025, throttling features like voice and video calls and limiting new user registrations, part of an extended campaign that also targeted Telegram. Reuters reporting in December detailed earlier warnings by regulators that WhatsApp could be completely blocked if it remained out of compliance with Russian legal frameworks on data access. These frameworks require communication services to store user metadata and message content in formats accessible to state security services, a demand that WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption and privacy policies make technically and philosophically difficult to meet. Meanwhile, Telegram, long a popular alternative among Russians, has also faced throttling and slowing of its services under Russian pressure, prompting complaints from its founder about the threat to free speech and secure communication.
Critics argue that the Kremlin’s push to replace independent messaging platforms with state-aligned ones undermines individual privacy and facilitates broader surveillance. The move echoes earlier blocks of other Meta services, including Facebook and Instagram, which have been barred or degraded within Russia. In response, many Russian users rely on virtual private networks (VPNs) and other circumvention tools to access blocked services, but the government has signaled intentions to suppress these measures over time. With the digital landscape tightening further, independent communication channels once taken for granted are increasingly constrained, leaving users with limited recourse for private online interaction and amplifying concerns about the erosion of digital freedom.