Russia announces gradual ban on WhatsApp, citing security concerns
WhatsApp (Photo: pixabay)
Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, said on Nov. 28 it will introduce a series of restrictions on WhatsApp in the coming weeks, accusing Meta’s messaging service of violating Russian law.
The statement claimed WhatsApp “facilitates terrorist activity, recruitment, and fraud.” The regulator warned that if WhatsApp fails to comply with local regulations, it would be completely blocked across the country.
Roskomnadzor also urged Russian citizens to switch to “national services” as the government steps up efforts to develop homegrown alternatives to foreign tech platforms.
Users in Russia reported WhatsApp outages on the morning of Nov. 28.
There is reason to believe the announcement relates to the recent media leaks of conversations between senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Earlier this week, Bloomberg published transcripts showing Witkoff and Ushakov discussing plans to get U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure Ukraine into signing a “peace deal” on terms favorable to Moscow. Ushakov subsequently told Russian propaganda media that he sometimes communicates with Witkoff via WhatsApp.
This is not the first time Moscow has targeted encrypted
messaging services. In August 2025, Roskomnadzor blocked voice calls on both
WhatsApp and Telegram. In October, while addressing service disruptions in
Russia’s southern regions, the agency said it had imposed “partial
restrictions” on those apps to curb criminal activity. According to
Roskomnadzor, Telegram and WhatsApp have become key channels for fraud,
extortion, and recruiting Russians for sabotage and terrorist acts, and their
operators have repeatedly ignored official demands.
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