WhatsApp said Russia was trying to block its services because the social media messaging app owned by Meta Platforms META.O offered people's right to secure communication, and vowed to continue trying to make encrypted services available in Russia.
Russia has started restricting some Telegram and WhatsApp calls, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.
"WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people's right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people," WhatsApp said in a statement.
"We will keep doing all we can to make end-to-end encrypted communication available to people everywhere, including in Russia."
Russia has clashed with foreign tech platforms for several years over content and data storage in a simmering dispute that intensified after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with critics saying that Russia is trying to expand its control over the country's internet space.
President Vladimir Putin has authorised the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Moscow seeks to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting home-grown services and reducing its dependence on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
"In order to counteract criminals... measures are being taken to partially restrict calls on these foreign messengers," the Interfax news agency quoted communications regulator Roskomnadzor as saying.
"No other restrictions have been imposed on their functionality."
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said it may deploy additional federal agents to Minnesota following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret on Thursday over the decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from 31 entities linked to the United Nations.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the broader geopolitical tensions surrounding territorial disputes and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant have drawn significant international attention.
A significant number of members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), affiliated with the PKK/YPG, have reportedly defected in Aleppo as Syrian security forces prepare to deploy in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods, Aleppo Governor Azzam Gharib said on Thursday.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
Snow and ice stalled travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport but delighting others who set out to explore a snow-blanketed Paris on sledges and skis.
Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
Türkiye’s UN envoy called on the international community on Thursday to maintain strong support for the elimination of Syria’s remaining chemical weapons, stressing that the task is both a legal obligation and a critical priority for regional security and humanitarian protection.
Georgia has said it will clarify the circumstances surrounding the U.S. seizure of a Russian‑flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic and is seeking information on its Georgian crew members.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said it may deploy additional federal agents to Minnesota following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret on Thursday over the decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from 31 entities linked to the United Nations.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the broader geopolitical tensions surrounding territorial disputes and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant have drawn significant international attention.
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