3 months ago
1
WhatsApp said Wednesday (February 11, 2026) that Russia "attempted to afloat block" the messaging app successful the state to propulsion users to a competing state-controlled service, perchance affecting 100 cardinal people.
Moscow has been trying to nudge Russians to usage a much tightly controlled home online service.
It has threatened a big of net platforms with forced slowdowns oregon outright bans if they bash not comply with Russian laws, including those requiring information connected Russian users to beryllium stored wrong the country.
"Today the Russian authorities attempted to afloat artifact WhatsApp successful an effort to thrust radical to a state-owned surveillance app," WhatsApp posted connected X.
"Trying to isolate implicit 100 cardinal users from backstage and unafraid connection is simply a backwards measurement and tin lone pb to little information for radical successful Russia," WhatsApp added.
"We proceed to bash everything we tin to support users connected."
Critics and rights campaigners accidental the Russian restrictions are a transparent effort by the Kremlin to ramp up power and surveillance implicit net usage successful Russia, amid a sweeping crackdown connected dissent during the Ukraine offensive.
The latest developments came aft Russia's net watchdog said connected Tuesday (February 10) it would slap "phased restrictions" connected the Telegram messaging platform, which it said had not complied with the laws.
