Russia restricts WhatsApp, Telegram calls over surveillance Russia announced Wednesday it is restricting voice and video calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, claiming the messaging platforms refuse to cooperate with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases. The move represents the latest escalation in Moscow's broader campaign to assert control over digital communications while promoting its own state-backed messaging alternative. Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor said it was taking "measures to partially restrict calls on these foreign messengers" to combat criminal activity. The restrictions affect only call functionality, leaving text messaging and other features intact for now. Users across Russia have reported disrupted voice calls since August 11, with WhatsApp calls becoming "effectively unusable due to intermittent audio and a harsh metallic buzzing sound," according to Reuters reporters who verified WhatsApp Fires Back at Surveillance Claims WhatsApp pushed back forcefully against Russia's justification, framing the restrictions as an assault on privacy rights rather than anti-crime measures. "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," the Meta-owned platform said in a statement. The company vowed to "keep doing all we can to make end-to-end encrypted communication available to people everywhere, including in Russia". Meta warned that the restrictions aim to "push people in Russia onto less secure services to enable government surveillance". Telegram, which has more than 89 million users in Russia compared to WhatsApp's 96 million, responded that it "actively combats misuse of its platform" and uses AI tools to remove "millions of pieces of harmful content every day". Push Toward Digital Sovereignty The restrictions come as President Vladimir Putin authorizes development of MAX, a state-backed "super app" that combines messaging with government services, banking, and other functions. Officials are actively encouraging migration to the VK-developed platform, which critics warn could enable comprehensive surveillance of users' activities. "By June, Putin said, 'I ask you to purposefully organize work to support the Russian messenger, and for this, the services provided by various departments, financial institutions, and so on, need to be transferred to this platform. This is extremely important,'" according to reports. Unlike WhatsApp and Telegram, MAX's privacy policy explicitly states it will share user data with government agencies upon request. The app lacks end-to-end encryption and stores data on Russian servers subject to domestic law.
