Russia restricts WhatsApp and Telegram calls as it pushes state-run messaging app

WhatsApp said on Thursday that Russia has started cutting off millions of users from using secure calls on the platform, accusing the Kremlin of trying to crush private communication as it pushes its own government-run apps.

The company, which is owned by Meta, responded after the Russian government began restricting call features on both WhatsApp and Telegram, while leaving text messaging and voice notes untouched.

According to Reuters, the Russian communications regulator claimed these apps refused to share information related to criminal cases involving terrorism and fraud. Officials said this lack of cooperation justified the clampdown on voice calls.

But the timing, scale, and the fact that encrypted messaging remains one of the last few digital tools outside state control in Russia paint a different picture. This is the latest move in a long-running digital purge that began after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Russia blocks calls while pushing its own state-built app

The Kremlin has been gradually isolating the Russian internet for years. After the war in Ukraine broke out, Facebook and Instagram were banned. YouTube became so slow that it was basically unusable.

Moscow fined international tech firms hundreds of times for ignoring local content rules and refusing to store user data on Russian servers. WhatsApp, which had mostly stayed out of the crosshairs, is now being pulled into the same fight.

WhatsApp said in a short message that its platform is “private, end-to-end encrypted,” and that Russia’s efforts to block it are a threat to over 100 million users inside the country. The company also said it’s still trying to keep encrypted messaging available despite the new restrictions.

Telegram, which is also facing limits on calls, said it works daily to remove dangerous content. The company claimed its moderators use AI tools to take down millions of messages involving fraud, violence, and sabotage.

While WhatsApp had a reach of 97.3 million users in Russia as of July 2025, Telegram trailed slightly with 90.8 million. The government’s preferred local app, VK Messenger, only had 17.9 million users. VK is owned by a state-controlled tech company. The Russian population currently stands at over 140 million, and these three apps are the country’s primary tools for online communication.

In the middle of this digital overhaul, the Kremlin has been promoting a brand-new government messaging platform called MAX. The app will be tied directly to state services and is being pushed by politicians as a secure alternative, one critics fear is just a tool for monitoring citizens.

Anton Gorelkin, a top lawmaker who regulates Russia’s internet policies, announced that he’s posting to MAX first and encouraged others to do the same. He said more members of parliament will be joining him there soon. Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Internet Protection Society, said the push is about full control. “They want to control users and the information they receive,” Klimarev said.

Mobile networks drop in southern Russia as frustration grows

Internet monitors Downdetector and Sboy reported a rise in complaints about WhatsApp’s performance. In southern Russia, especially in the Krasnodar region, users noticed weaker mobile signals. Local news confirmed the outages. These disruptions didn’t just hit messaging. Drivers in the area who rely on online maps to get around were suddenly left without working GPS apps.

One public Telegram group for Krasnodar taxi drivers was flooded with messages. “What should I do? There’s no map,” a driver named Sergei asked the other 3,700 members. Another driver named Alexei replied, “Download offline maps. For the future.”

Klimarev said that pushing everyone onto MAX might not go smoothly. He warned that the app could crash under the weight of millions of new users and said “people don’t like being forced to register somewhere new.”

WhatsApp’s full service hasn’t been banned, not yet. But anyone watching knows what’s going on. Russia used the same tactic with YouTube when it made the video speeds so slow that people gave up trying to watch.

Human Rights Watch said last month that the Russian government is steadily building a walled-off internet. The report said Russia is using laws and tech tools to isolate its online space into a heavily policed network.

Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers have approved a new censorship law that’s raising alarms about privacy. The law punishes people for searching online for content the government labels “extremist.” Even using VPNs, which millions rely on to bypass blocks, won’t protect users from being fined under this law.

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