WhatsApp has pledged to maintain secure, end-to-end encrypted communication for users in Russia after the government moved to restrict its call functions — a move the company links to its refusal to compromise on privacy. According to WhatsApp, more than 100 million people in Russia use the platform.
The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications (Roskomnadzor) announced on August 13 that it would “partially restrict calls” on WhatsApp and Telegram, citing efforts to combat fraud, extortion, and what it claims is the use of these apps to recruit Russians into sabotage and terrorism. The Ministry of Digital Development said both companies refuse to comply with Russian legal requirements.
Telegram, responding to the same measures, told RBC that it actively fights harmful use of its platform, including incitement to violence and fraud, through AI-driven monitoring and large-scale daily removals of prohibited content.
The crackdown follows reports that Russia’s “big four” mobile operators — MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, and Tele2 — asked the government to block VoIP calls via foreign messaging apps, claiming revenue loss from declining traditional phone use. Lawmakers confirmed that business concerns were a driving factor.
Critics argue that under the pretext of combating fraud, Moscow is further tightening control over digital communication, aligning economic interests of telecom companies with political censorship. This, they warn, could push more users toward VPNs and alternative encrypted tools, undermining the stated security goals.
