Russia to Block WhatsApp for 100 Million Users

Russia has attempted to fully block WhatsApp inside the country, a move that could affect more than 100 million users and marks a significant escalation in the Kremlin’s campaign to tighten control over foreign messaging platforms.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, said the action is aimed at pushing Russian users towards a state-backed messaging service that it described as a potential surveillance tool. According to reports cited by the BBC, the restrictions are part of broader efforts by Moscow to limit access to encrypted communication services.

The development follows additional regulatory measures imposed on Telegram, which has a user base in Russia comparable to that of WhatsApp. Russian authorities have justified the tighter controls on national security grounds.

In a statement, WhatsApp said that isolating more than 100 million people from secure and private communication “represents a step backwards” and would ultimately reduce digital security for users in Russia. The company added that it would continue working to keep people connected.

Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor has repeatedly warned WhatsApp to comply with domestic data laws. Earlier this year, the state news agency TASS reported that a permanent ban on the platform could be implemented in 2026.

Russian lawmaker Andrei Svintsov defended the measures, stating that such strict steps are “fully justified,” noting that Moscow designated Meta as an extremist organisation in 2022, leading to the ban of its platforms Facebook and Instagram.

At the same time, authorities have intensified efforts to promote a state developed communication platform known as Max, modelled in part on China’s WeChat. The application combines messaging services with access to government functions but does not provide end to end encryption.

Officials argue that WhatsApp and Telegram have refused to store Russian user data on servers located within the country, as required by law. Since 2025, the government has mandated that Max be pre-installed on all new devices sold in Russia and required its use among public sector employees, teachers and students.

Telegram’s chief executive Pavel Durov has accused Russian authorities of restricting access to his platform in an effort to force citizens onto the state-controlled service, warning that curbing communication freedoms is not the solution.

The dispute underscores growing tensions between Russia and major global technology firms, as Moscow advances a strategy of digital sovereignty and tighter state oversight of online communication.