Now the era of WhatsApp seems to be ending in Russia. The Putin government has blocked this app of Meta Platforms for ignoring Russian laws. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the decision, saying that Meta was not ready to follow the rules despite repeated warnings, so this tough step had to be taken.
Emphasis on using Max app
The government is now encouraging the public to use MAX Messenger. The app is supported by the Russian government and designed to simplify the everyday needs of citizens. However, critics believe that MAX is actually a surveillance tool of the government, through which people’s words can be monitored. However, Russian officials have vehemently rejected these allegations.
What is the reason for WhatsApp blocking?
This action has been taken on WhatsApp after increasing pressure for the last six months. Especially in wartime circumstances, Russia is emphasizing on strengthening the indigenous communication infrastructure. Amidst the atmosphere of war, Russia wants all foreign companies to obey its laws. According to the information, action has been taken on WhatsApp for not following government rules:
- WhatsApp is accused of not opening its local office in Russia.
- Along with this, information was not shared with security agencies in cases related to terrorism and fraud.
- The allegation is also that WhatsApp ignored court orders to remove banned content.
WhatsApp said in a statement that the Russian government is trying to shut down the company completely so that people use a government surveillance app.
Impact on 10 crore users
WhatsApp has reacted sharply to this decision. The company said that the government is blocking more than 100 million people from having secure and private conversations, which is a retrograde step in terms of security. Now people in Russia are able to use WhatsApp only through VPN, because its domains have been removed from the National Register.
Restrictions were imposed earlier also
In August 2025, Russian authorities had imposed restrictions on other messenger services including WhatsApp, due to which users were not able to complete phone calls on these platforms. Officials alleged that foreign platforms do not share information with law enforcement agencies in cases of fraud and terrorism. Russian courts have also fined WhatsApp several times for not removing banned content. In December, Russian federal executive agency Roskomnadzor said that more stringent restrictions would be imposed on WhatsApp in a phased manner.
