Russian authorities announced Wednesday that they were "partially" restricting calls in the messaging apps Telegram and WhatsApp, the latest move in a long-term effort to tighten control over the internet. In a statement, government media and internet regulator Roskomnadzor justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime.
The agency claimed that, "according to law enforcement agencies and numerous appeals from citizens, foreign messengers Telegram and WhatsApp have become the main voice services used to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities." The regulator also alleged that "repeated requests to take countermeasures have been ignored by the owners of the messengers," and there was no immediate comment from either platform.
This is part of a deliberate and multipronged effort by Russian authorities to rein in the internet. Over the years, they have adopted restrictive laws, banned non-compliant websites and platforms, and perfected technology to monitor and manipulate online traffic. Although it's still possible to circumvent these restrictions using virtual private network (VPN) services, these services are also routinely blocked.
Recent efforts to control the internet
This summer, authorities further restricted internet access with widespread shutdowns of cellphone internet connections and by adopting a law that punishes users for searching for content deemed illicit. They have also threatened to go after WhatsApp, one of the most popular platforms in the country, while rolling out a new "national" messaging app that's widely expected to be heavily monitored.
Reports of disrupted calls on WhatsApp and Telegram had already appeared in Russian media earlier in the week, with users complaining that calls were not going through or that they could not hear each other speak.
According to the Russian media monitoring service Mediascope, WhatsApp was the most popular platform in Russia in July, with over 96 million monthly users. Telegram was a close second with more than 89 million users.
Russia outlawed Meta
Both platforms have had previous conflicts with Russian authorities. The Kremlin tried and failed to block Telegram between 2018 and 2020. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram and outlawed their parent company, Meta—which also owns WhatsApp—as extremist.
In July, lawmaker Anton Gorelkin stated that WhatsApp "should prepare to leave the Russian market," and that a new "national" messenger, MAX, developed by the Russian social media company VK, would take its place.
Russia’s MAX messaging app
MAX is promoted as a one-stop shop for messaging, online government services, and payments. It was rolled out for beta tests but has yet to attract a wide following, with over 2 million people registered by July, according to the Tass news agency. Its terms and conditions state that it will share user data with authorities upon request, and a new law stipulates its preinstallation in all smartphones sold in Russia. State institutions, officials, and businesses are actively encouraged to move their communications and blogs to MAX.
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