WhatsApp did not give details about Russia tried to block the app in the country. (Express Photo)
Meta, the US-based company led by Mark Zuckerberg, claimed that Russia tried to “fully block” WhatsApp to push users towards a “state-owned surveillance app”
However, the tech giant did not reveal details about how or to what extent the attempt succeeded or how Russia tried to block the app.
In a post on X (previously Twitter), WhatsApp said the Kremlin “trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia.”
“We will continue to do everything we can to keep users connected,” it added.
Today the Russian government attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive people to a state-owned surveillance app. Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia.…
Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kremlin started pushing back against foreign tech giants like Meta. While some say that the government is trying to push the state-backed instant messaging app MAX, the state media have flagged the allegations as false.
When asked if WhatsApp would return to Russia, the Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the state-owned news agency TASS that it is ” a question of fulfilling the legislation, if the Meta corporation fulfills this and enters into dialogue with Russian authorities, then we have the possibility of reaching an agreement. If the corporation (Meta) sticks to an uncompromising position and, I would say, shows itself unready to align with Russian legislation, then there is no chance.”
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The new rift between Russia and WhatsApp comes as the country is trying to crack down on social media. Recently, Russian authorities started restricting access to Telegram, saying that the move was aimed at the “protection of Russian citizens”.
Telegram is said to have more or less the same number of users as WhatsApp in Russia.
Russian telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor has said that it would continue to block Telegram “until violations of Russian law are eliminated.”
“Personal data is not protected, and there are no effective measures to counter fraud or the use of the messaging service for criminal and terrorist purposes,” it added.
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The telecommunication regulator has also repeatedly issued warnings to WhatsApp to comply with the local law.
Andrei Svintsov, a Russian official, was quoted as saying that “such harsh measures” are “absolutely justified” as the country had designated Meta as an extremist organisation back in 2022. Since then, apps like Instagram and Facebook have been blocked in Russia and are only available through a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
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WhatsApp did not give details about Russia tried to block the app in the country. (Express Photo) 
