According to WhatsApp, Russia attempted to completely block the messaging service

WhatsApp says Russia has tried to fully block the messaging app across the country, in what the company calls another step by the government to increase control over the internet.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said Russian authorities are trying to push people toward a state-backed messaging platform called MAX, which critics describe as a surveillance tool. The spokesperson said blocking WhatsApp would prevent more than 100 million users from accessing private and secure communication and would reduce safety for people in Russia. The company said it is continuing efforts to keep users connected.

The Russian government has been tightening internet controls for several years, and especially since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has already blocked major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X) and introduced many other online restrictions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, must comply with Russian laws if it wants the service to be unblocked, according to state media reports.

Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, also recently announced new restrictions on Telegram, accusing it of not following local laws. That move drew criticism from pro-military bloggers, who said Telegram is widely used by Russian troops in Ukraine and that limiting it could disrupt battlefield communications. Despite the warning, Telegram has mostly continued to work normally. Experts say Telegram is technically harder to block than WhatsApp.

Some Russian technology experts believe blocking WhatsApp would allow authorities to focus more resources on restricting Telegram, which they see as a higher priority target.

Russian authorities had already partially restricted WhatsApp before moving to a broader block. In recent years, they have:

• Passed stricter internet laws

• Blocked or limited multiple foreign platforms

• Increased monitoring and control of online traffic

• Slowed down services like YouTube

• Blocked Signal and Viber

• Banned online calling features on WhatsApp and Telegram

• Restricted Apple’s FaceTime service

Some users try to bypass blocks using VPN services, but many VPNs are also regularly restricted in Russia.

At the same time, authorities are promoting the MAX app as a national messaging platform that also supports government services and payments. Critics warn that MAX does not use end-to-end encryption and openly states it may share user data with government agencies when requested.