Russia signals possible nationwide ban on WhatsApp

WhatsApp could face a complete ban in Russia if its parent company fails to comply with national regulations.

Anton Gorelkin, the first deputy head of the Russian State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology, and Communications, indicated that authorities were considering “extreme measures” against the messaging platform, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

He said that a recent leak of diplomatic communications had become an additional trigger for accelerating discussions about a potential ban. According to Gorelkin, Russian officials had concluded that the platform’s owners were not only ignoring illicit activity conducted via the app but were actively contributing to it.

The warning followed a statement issued on November 28, by the press service of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s state communications regulator. The agency said WhatsApp continued to “violate Russian legislation” and was allegedly being used to coordinate “terrorist activities” and recruitment within the country. Roskomnadzor stated that these concerns could lead to the platform being fully blocked nationwide.

In August, Russia began limiting some calls on WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, and on Telegram, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of refusing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and “terrorism” cases.

Russian authorities are pushing a state-backed rival app called MAX, which critics claim could be used to track users. State media have dismissed those accusations as false.

By Sabina Mammadli