2026-02-12 13:53
publication
2026-02-12 13:53
The Kremlin confirmed on Thursday the blocking of the WhatsApp messenger belonging to the American company Meta in order to replace it with a domestic, state-owned equivalent, Reuters reported. The decision was made a few days after the introduction of new restrictions on the Telegram application.
“Regarding the blocking of WhatsApp, there was actually a statement from the competent authorities, which stated that due to the company's reluctance to comply with Russian law, this decision was made and implemented,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by AFP.
WhatsApp itself had previously warned about an attempt to cut off access to the application.
“Today, the Russian government tried to completely block WhatsApp to force people to switch to a state-owned, surveillance-free application,” WhatsApp wrote on Thursday in an official post on the X platform, adding that the disruptions affect 100 million users.
In a comment for the British daily The Guardian, a WhatsApp spokesman said that isolating citizens from “private and secure communication is a step backwards” and warned that it would worsen the security of people staying in Russia. Media reports that using the website is still possible using a VPN.
According to media reports, the Max application is to be the equivalent of WhatsApp in Russia. Launched last year on the orders of the country's leader, Vladimir Putin, this platform is, by decision of the authorities, pre-installed on all tablets, smartphones, computers and Smart TVs sold in Russia from September 1, 2025.
WhatsApp and Telegram, the second most popular messenger in Russia, have long been targeted by the country's authorities. Last August, Roskomnadzor, the Russian telecommunications regulator, began gradually blocking the operation of both websites, accusing them of refusing to provide information to law enforcement agencies in cases related to fraud and terrorism.
On Tuesday, the office announced the continuation of restrictions on Telegram, which is owned by billionaire Pavel Durov, who comes from Russia but has been living abroad since 2014. Already on Monday, users in Russia reported problems with launching the messenger, sending messages and loading photos and videos.
Like WhatsApp representatives, Durov, in his Tuesday post on Telegram, also accused the authorities of trying to force citizens to use Max, which he described as a tool created “to exercise surveillance and political censorship.”
Shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin tightened its censorship loop in the country, completely blocking Google's YouTube, as well as Instagram and Facebook, both of which are part of the Meta group. The latter was included by the Kremlin on the list of terrorist and extremist organizations in 2022. Moreover, in December 2025, Apple's FaceTime application was also blocked throughout Russia. (PAP)
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