Russia imposes partial restrictions on WhatsApp, Telegram amid criminal concerns

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal communications regulator, has initiated measures to partially restrict the operations of foreign messaging platforms WhatsApp and Telegram, aiming to curb their use in criminal activities.

The agency confirmed these steps in response to inquiries from Russian media concerning recent service disruptions observed in southern Russia, Caliber.Az reports.

According to Roskomnadzor, information from law enforcement agencies and numerous citizen reports reveal that Telegram and WhatsApp have increasingly become primary channels for scams, extortion, and the recruitment of Russian nationals into sabotage and terrorist activities. The regulator also noted that repeated appeals to the platforms’ operators to implement countermeasures have gone unheeded.

“To counteract criminal elements, measures are being taken to partially restrict the functioning of foreign messaging services, based on materials provided by law enforcement authorities,” Roskomnadzor stated.

On October 21, Telegram and WhatsApp experienced two distinct outages across southern Russian regions, with notable disruptions in Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, and the Republic of Adygea. In Rostov-on-Don, both applications were inaccessible even via Wi-Fi, while in Astrakhan, Telegram’s service suffered from significantly reduced speeds. As of October 22, these service irregularities persisted in several southern localities.

Nevertheless, several mobile and fixed-line internet providers clarified that the unstable performance of Telegram and WhatsApp is not attributable to deliberate blocking by network operators.

Earlier, on August 13, Roskomnadzor announced steps to partially restrict voice call functionality within Telegram and WhatsApp, citing the platforms’ exploitation for fraudulent schemes, extortion, and incitement of sabotage and terrorism involving Russian citizens.

By Vafa Guliyeva