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."
The U.S. military has warned it will "not tolerate unsafe" actions by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as Tehran announced it will co...
Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev is expected to travel to Miami on Saturday for meetings with members of Donald Trump’s administrati...
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico does not want to face U.S. tariffs, but will still look for ways to support Cuba through diplomatic channels....
The death toll from last week’s landslide in Indonesia has climbed to 60 as search and rescue teams continued operations on the seventh day to locat...
Nearly 400,000 people have been forced from their homes in southern Mozambique after severe flooding overwhelmed communities and pushed thousands into...
The U.S. military has warned it will "not tolerate unsafe" actions by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as Tehran announced it will conduct live-fire naval exercises next week in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.
Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev is expected to travel to Miami on Saturday for meetings with members of Donald Trump’s administration, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters.
The death toll from last week’s landslide in Indonesia has climbed to 60 as search and rescue teams continued operations on the seventh day to locate 20 people still missing in West Java.
Nearly 400,000 people have been forced from their homes in southern Mozambique after severe flooding overwhelmed communities and pushed thousands into overcrowded school shelters, according to UNHCR.
Catherine O’Hara, the celebrated Canadian actress and comedy legend, has died at the age of 71, her publicist confirmed on Friday. She passed away at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness.
Storm Kristin has killed at least five people and left more than 850,000 residents of central and northern Portugal without electricity on Wednesday (28 January), as it toppled trees, damaged homes, and disrupted road and rail traffic before moving inland to Spain.
The Kremlin said on Friday (30 January) that Russian President had received a personal request from his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. The request was to halt strikes on Kyiv until 1 February to create a favourable environment for peace negotiations.
Colombian authorities on Wednesday (28 January) located a missing plane carrying 15 people in the northeast of the country, with no survivors found, an Air Force source and local media said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to assist in rebuilding Syria’s war-damaged economy as the country's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa made his second visit to Moscow in less than four months on Wednesday (28 January).
The U.S. State Department has approved potential foreign military sales to Israel worth about $6.52 billion, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Vladimir Putin said Russia earned more than $15 billion from defence exports in 2025 and fulfilled all military-technical contracts despite what he described as growing pressure from Western countries.
A U.S. judge has dismissed federal murder and weapons charges against Luigi Mangione, ruling that the counts were legally incompatible with the stalking offences he still faces.
IS has claimed responsibility for an overnight assault on Niger’s Diori Hamani International Airport, where authorities say 20 attackers were killed and several others detained.
Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev is expected to travel to Miami on Saturday for meetings with members of Donald Trump’s administration, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment