Moscow, Russia. The Kremlin said on Thursday that WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, has been completely blocked in Russia for failing to comply with local law. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged Russians to switch to the state-backed messenger MAX.
Kremlin cites non-compliance with Russian law
“Due to Meta’s unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed taken and implemented,” Peskov told reporters. He proposed that Russians switch to MAX, describing it as a “national messenger” and an alternative available on the market.
Concerns over MAX and official denials
Critics say MAX is a surveillance tool, while Russian authorities deny this.
Pressure on WhatsApp and broader policy context
The move against WhatsApp, described as Russia’s most popular messenger, follows six months of pressure on the U.S. company. It comes amid a wider effort by Russian authorities during wartime to build and control a “sovereign” communications infrastructure, in which foreign-owned technology companies comply with local laws or leave the market.
Meta designation and WhatsApp response
Meta has already been designated as an extremist organisation in Russia. WhatsApp said it viewed developments as an attempt to fully block its service.
“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,” WhatsApp said in a statement.
Domain register changes and VPN access
Some domain names associated with WhatsApp disappeared from Russia’s national register of domain names. As a result, devices inside Russia stopped receiving WhatsApp IP addresses from the app and could access the service only through a virtual private network (VPN).
Regulator response pending
Roskomnadzor, the state communications regulator, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
How do you expect the WhatsApp block to affect your ability to communicate in Russia?
