Russia has imposed partial restrictions on voice calls made via WhatsApp and Telegram, citing efforts to curb crime, state media reported on Wednesday, August 13.
Roskomnadzor, the country’s communications regulator, said the move was required because the foreign messaging services had turned into “the main voice platforms used for fraud, extortion, and the recruitment of Russian citizens into subversive and terrorist activities”
Russian security agencies have repeatedly claimed that Ukraine uses Telegram to recruit people and plan acts of sabotage inside Russia.
In order to investigate fraud and cases it deems to be related to terrorism, Moscow is demanding that these messaging platforms allow law enforcement access to user data.
The restrictions will be removed once the companies meet Russian legal requirements, according to the digital ministry.
Telegram said in a statement to AFP that it “actively combats misuse” of its platform, deleting “millions of pieces of harmful content every day,” including calls for violence, fraud, and sabotage.
The parent company of WhatsApp, Meta, denounced the action, emphasizing that the app’s end-to-end encryption safeguards private correspondence and thwarts attempts by the government to undermine security.
The spokesperson said, “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 has voiced concerns that the restrictions are intended to push users toward services that are more vulnerable to government surveillance, as over 100 million Russians rely on the app for calls and messages.
Since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has increased restrictions on online speech and drastically reduced press freedom.
