Russia has fully blocked the Meta-owned messaging service app WhatsApp, which has around 100 million users in the country, the service said on Wednesday. According to sources, a WhatsApp spokesperson said the main motive is to push users to switch to a state-backed rival application called ‘MAX’. The source also added that this application must be used for surveillance, a claim denied by Russian state media.
WhatsApp has said it will work to keep users connected. After the war with Ukraine, Russia has made it difficult to give access to the giants like Meta and Google in their country by saying that the companies are breaking Russian laws and hiding data from the police. Through this, Russia is pushing people to use homegrown apps on which the government can control and watch.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that any return of WhatsApp depends on Meta’s cooperation with the Russian legislation. Peskov stated that if its compliant, WhatsApp might resume operations. However, he warned that if Meta maintains its current “unsatisfactory” stance, there is “no chance” of restoring the service.
Despite the ban, WhatsApp has pledged to do everything possible to keep its users connected, likely through proxy servers or technical workarounds. Meanwhile, the Roskomnadzor continues to urge citizens to migrate to domestic platforms to ensure their digital “security.”
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Russia has increasingly targeted foreign companies over the past year. They have restricted WhatsApp and Telegram calls, saying they refuse to share data in cases involving fraud or terrorism. In December 2025, the authorities also blocked Apple’s FaceTime video-calling feature.
