WhatsApp and Telegram Face Restrictions in Russia

Russian authorities announced Wednesday they were “partially” restricting calls through the messaging apps Telegram and WhatsApp, the latest step in an effort to tighten control over the internet.

In a statement, government media and internet regulator Roskomnadzor justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime, saying that “according to law enforcement agencies and numerous appeals from citizens, foreign messengers Telegram and WhatsApp have become the main voice services used to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities”. The regulator also alleged that “repeated requests to take countermeasures have been ignored by the owners of the messengers”.

A Whatsapp spokesperson said in a statement that the encrypted messaging app "defies government attempts to violate people's right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people”.

Russian authorities have long engaged in a deliberate and multipronged effort to rein in the internet. Over the years, they have adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that won’t comply. Technology has been perfected to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Both platforms had their run-ins with the Russian authorities in the past. The Kremlin tried to block Telegram between 2018-20 but failed. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media like Facebook and Instagram, and outlawed their parent company, Meta, that also owns WhatsApp, as extremist.