Kremlin Blocks WhatsApp Amid Crackdown on Messaging Apps

Fri Feb 13 2026 01:30:13 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Russia has imposed a block on WhatsApp as part of an extensive effort to tighten control over communication platforms, urging users to switch to a state-sanctioned messaging app.

In a significant move, the Russian government has ordered a block on WhatsApp, affecting over 100 million users. This action fits into a larger agenda to promote a state-owned app amid ongoing tensions regarding compliance with Russian laws by foreign technology firms. The Kremlin has suggested that WhatsApp's resistance to local regulations justifies the ban, while critics fear increased surveillance through the newly promoted Max app. Russian authorities have also been limiting access to other popular messaging services, such as Telegram, under the guise of national security.

Russia has ordered a block on WhatsApp, as the Kremlin continues to tighten restrictions on messaging apps.

Meta-owned WhatsApp said the move aimed to push more than 100 million of its app users in Russia to a state-owned surveillance app.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the decision was made due to [Meta's] unwillingness to comply with the norms and the letter of Russian law. He indicated that Meta could resume operations if it complies with [the law] and enters into dialogue.

Peskov also claimed that the national messenger, developed by the Russian state, is an available alternative for the populace.

In addition, the Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor has been curbing access to Telegram, alleging security breaches, even as the messaging app remains widely popular and utilized by Russian forces in Ukraine.

Critics express concern that the block may impede communications among essential groups, including pro-war bloggers on the ground.

Since before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian officials have accelerated efforts to establish a domestic alternative to global internet services. The promotion of the government-endorsed Max app has intensified, linked to increased surveillance efforts by state authorities.

Concerns have been raised that the Max app lacks robust encryption, potentially allowing governmental access to user communications, although state media has denied such allegations. The app is currently being actively marketed across Russia through various media.

Russian authorities argue that both WhatsApp and Telegram's refusal to store user data within the country constitutes grounds for restriction, citing these platforms' involvement in criminal activities as justification for pushing users to the Max app.

WhatsApp has condemned the ban, stating that isolating over 100 million users from secure communication represents a backward step, potentially exacerbating safety concerns for individuals in Russia.

Reports have emerged that the app is expected to face a permanent ban by 2026, and the Kremlin has classified Meta as an extremist organization.

With the heightened censorship trends, individual freedom is increasingly at risk, drawing parallels to other nations that have restricted similar messaging services.