The Kremlin declared this Thursday, February 12, that the American messaging application WhatsApp has been completely blocked in Russia, accusing it of non-compliance with local legislation, suggesting that the country's citizens will turn to MAX, the state messaging platform. Critics claim MAX is a surveillance tool, something authorities deny.
First modification: 02/12/2026 - 16:08 Last modification: 02/12/2026 - 16:13
The American messaging application WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, has been completely blocked in Russia due to, the Government assured this February 12, non-compliance with local legislation.
The decision suggests that Russian citizens will have to turn to MAX, the state messaging platform.
"Due to Meta's reluctance to comply with Russian legislation, such a decision was made and implemented," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, proposing that citizens of his country switch to the state messaging application.
"MAX is an accessible alternative, a messaging platform in development, a national messaging platform, and it is available on the market for citizens as an alternative," Peskov stressed.
The action against WhatsApp is the culmination of six months of pressure on the American company and reflects a broader push by Russian authorities, in wartime, to create and control a "sovereign" communications infrastructure in which foreign-owned technology companies submit to local laws or disappear.
But critics say it is a surveillance tool, something authorities deny. "Today, the Russian government tried to completely block WhatsApp to force people to use a state surveillance application," the American company said through its social networks.
"Today, the Russian government attempted to completely block WhatsApp to force people to use a state surveillance application," the company said in a statement.
"Attempting to isolate more than 100 million users from private and secure communication is a setback and can only lead to reduced security for the citizens of Russia," he added.
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Meta Russia had already been designated as an extremist organization and WhatsApp representatives had complained about what they claimed was an attempt to completely block their service.
Some domain names associated with WhatsApp disappeared from Russia's national registry, meaning devices within the nation stopped receiving their IP addresses from the app and could only be accessed via a virtual private network (VPN).
Roskomnadzor, the state communications regulator, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read alsoThe emergence of cell phones and social networks, 25 years in evolution
Restrictions on WhatsApp
Russian authorities, who also block or restrict social media platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, have been heavily pushing MAX, which critics say could be used to track users.
Authorities have dismissed these accusations and affirm that MAX – which integrates several government services – is designed to simplify and improve the daily lives of citizens.
Roskomnadzor began restricting WhatsApp and other messaging services in August 2025, making it impossible to make phone calls through them, after accusing foreign-owned platforms of not sharing information with law enforcement in cases of fraud and terrorism.
In December, it announced that it was taking new measures to gradually restrict the application, which it accused of continuing to violate Russian law and of being a platform used "to organize and carry out terrorist acts on the territory of the country, recruit their perpetrators and commit fraud and other crimes."
The country's courts have repeatedly fined WhatsApp for failing to remove banned content and authorities have insisted that the company needs a local representative office in Russia to comply with regulations, something it does not have.
Since December 2025, many Russians can only use WhatsApp in conjunction with a virtual private network and have opted for rival messaging apps, although some of them, such as Telegram, are also under pressure from the authorities for the same reasons.
Read alsoRussia limits calls on WhatsApp and Telegram and seeks access to data
With Reuters
This article was adapted from its original English version
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