Roskomnadzor Threatens Complete Ban on WhatsApp Amid Legal Compliance Issues

Russia’s state media regulator announced on Friday that it would implement new restrictions on WhatsApp, citing repeated breaches of Russian legislation. The agency warned that the messaging service could face a complete ban if it does not comply with the regulations.

According to a statement released by state media, Roskomnadzor accused the Meta-owned platform of being used to «organize and carry out terrorist activities» and facilitate fraud as well as various other crimes.

«WhatsApp has failed to meet requirements aimed at preventing and addressing criminal activities in Russia. Consequently, Roskomnadzor is systematically imposing restrictions,» the agency stated, emphasizing that these limitations «will continue to increase.»

This warning followed reports from residents of Moscow about significant difficulties accessing the app, with users across the country experiencing similar issues in recent days.

In August, Roskomnadzor declared that it was restricting voice and video calls on WhatsApp and Telegram as part of an anti-fraud strategy, a decision both companies criticized. Nevertheless, WhatsApp remains the most widely used messaging platform in Russia.

On Friday, the regulator indicated that it would take steps to completely block WhatsApp if the service ignored its warnings and failed to align its operations with Russian law. Additionally, it encouraged users to consider switching to Max, a government-backed messaging application introduced earlier this year as an alternative to foreign apps.

Max, which authorities promote as a secure platform for schools, universities, and government agencies, is now required to be pre-installed on all smartphones and computers sold in Russia. While its user base is increasing, it still significantly trails behind WhatsApp and Telegram.