With the Russia-Ukraine war entering its fourth year, US President Donald Trump has been engaging in discussions with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky to find a resolution. Against this backdrop, a meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled for August 15 in Alaska. However, prior to this summit, Russia has taken actions concerning the American tech company WhatsApp. WhatsApp is facing restrictions within Russia, details of which are described below.
WhatsApp has accused Russia of attempting to restrict secure communications for millions of Russian citizens. The company claims that Russia has imposed restrictions on calls made through the messaging app in an effort to promote domestic social media platforms and exert greater control over the internet.
On Wednesday, Russia announced that it had begun blocking some calls on WhatsApp (owned by Meta Platforms). Russia alleges that these foreign apps have failed to provide necessary information to the police in cases related to fraud and terrorism.
It’s important to note that text and voice notes on WhatsApp are not affected by the restrictions. The dispute between Russia and foreign tech companies has escalated since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia has previously banned Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, slowed down Google’s YouTube, and imposed numerous fines for non-compliance with content and data storage regulations.
WhatsApp stated, “WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and it rejects the government’s efforts to deprive people of their right to secure communications. That is why Russia is attempting to block it for over 100 million people.” The company also said that it will continue its efforts to provide end-to-end encrypted communication to people around the world, including in Russia.
Telegram has also spoken out, stating that its moderators use AI tools to monitor public chats and remove millions of dangerous messages daily. The company added, “Telegram takes strict action against those who spread violence, sabotage and fraud on its platform.” These actions coincide with the government’s promotion of a new messaging app called “MAX.” This app is linked to government services, and critics fear that it could be used to monitor users. Senior leaders are now transitioning to MAX and encouraging their followers to do the same. Anton Gorelkin, a key member of Russia’s IT regulation committee, has said that he will post his content on MAX first, and other parliamentarians will follow suit.
This tactic, of gradually weakening services, has been employed by Russia before. For example, it slowed down YouTube, making it difficult to access content. According to a Human Rights Watch report, Russia is consistently developing laws and technologies aimed at transforming its internet into a strictly monitored and controlled area.
A recent law has been passed that will tighten censorship. Under this law, individuals who search for content online that Russia deems “extremist” (even if using a VPN) may face fines.