Moscow Court Dismisses WhatsApp and Telegram Users Challenge Against Roskomnadzors Call Restrictions

A municipal judge in Moscow has dismissed a class action lawsuit against the state media regulator Roskomnadzor and the Ministry of Digital Development, filed by a group of users from WhatsApp and Telegram in Russia.

The ruling from a judge at the Tagansky District Court stated that Kaluga activist Konstantin Larionov did not present sufficient evidence demonstrating that he was “authorized to initiate a lawsuit on behalf of the rights of Telegram and WhatsApp users,” according to a statement from the court’s press service.

Larionov, accompanied by several dozen co-plaintiffs, filed the class action suit on December 23, contending that the government’s limitations on voice and video calls through Telegram and WhatsApp infringe upon their constitutional rights, including the right to information and the confidentiality of communication.

In August, Roskomnadzor began to block voice and video calls on these messaging platforms as part of what it characterized as an initiative to combat fraud, a decision that has drawn criticism from both companies.

In their legal complaint, the plaintiffs referenced data from the Russian Central Bank indicating that traditional mobile calls and text messages, rather than messaging apps, are the primary means through which fraud occurs.

Larionov, who was involved in pro-peace politician Boris Nadezhdin’s unsuccessful election campaign in 2023, has labeled Roskomnadzor’s actions to limit WhatsApp and Telegram calls as “politically driven” and described his co-plaintiffs as “regular Russian citizens who are frustrated with the inability to use messaging apps for their calls.”

“I certainly understand the challenges faced by activists and politicians in Russia. My goal is simply to contribute to making the world and our country a bit better, within my capabilities,” Larionov stated to the online news source Bereg earlier this month.

“Should I just stop engaging in work that benefits society? Absolutely not,” he remarked.