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."
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the allegations that Russia was responsible for jamming European Commissio...
A series of lightning-induced wildfires swept through parts of two Northern California counties on Wednesday, prompting widespread evacuations and eng...
Egypt and Sudan on Wednesday described Ethiopia’s Nile River dam as a “threat” to their countries, citing serious consequences for water securit...
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has appointed seven new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention'...
Guyana's ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) secured more than double the votes of its closest competitor in the country's general election, posit...
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the allegations that Russia was responsible for jamming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's aircraft, labelling them as fake and a product of paranoia.
A series of lightning-induced wildfires swept through parts of two Northern California counties on Wednesday, prompting widespread evacuations and engulfing sections of a historic Gold Rush mining town that once housed thousands of Chinese immigrants.
Egypt and Sudan on Wednesday described Ethiopia’s Nile River dam as a “threat” to their countries, citing serious consequences for water security and regional stability.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has appointed seven new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) vaccine expert panel, according to an internal CDC document released on Wednesday.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A popular funicular railway car in Lisbon, the Gloria, derailed and crashed on Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and injuring 18 others.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the allegations that Russia was responsible for jamming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's aircraft, labelling them as fake and a product of paranoia.
A series of lightning-induced wildfires swept through parts of two Northern California counties on Wednesday, prompting widespread evacuations and engulfing sections of a historic Gold Rush mining town that once housed thousands of Chinese immigrants.
Egypt and Sudan on Wednesday described Ethiopia’s Nile River dam as a “threat” to their countries, citing serious consequences for water security and regional stability.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has appointed seven new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) vaccine expert panel, according to an internal CDC document released on Wednesday.
Guyana's ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) secured more than double the votes of its closest competitor in the country's general election, positioning it for a parliamentary majority and another term for President Irfaan Ali.
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