As part of its ongoing efforts to impose more stringent regulations on messaging apps, Russia has ordered WhatsApp to be blocked. The action was intended to force over 100 million Russian WhatsApp users, which is owned by Meta, to switch to a “state-owned surveillance app.”
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the decision was made “because [Meta] didn’t want to follow the letter and the norms of Russian law,” as he told the BBC. He stated that if Meta complies with [the law] and enters into dialogue,” it might start up again.
This Thursday, Roskomnadzor, the Russian internet regulator, said that it was also restricting access to the Telegram messaging service due to security concerns. Its forces in Ukraine are rumoured to use Telegram extensively, which is quite popular in Russia. The decision has been criticised by pro-war blogs who claim it is impeding communication in the field.
A domestic alternative to the global internet was already being developed by Russian officials before to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. During the conflict, those actions have accelerated, as has the drive for the state-sponsored Max platform.
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