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Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has warned that WhatsApp may be taken offline across the country if it continues to reject compliance with national data laws.
The dispute follows a round of restrictions in August that limited some WhatsApp and Telegram calls. Officials said that foreign-owned services, including Meta’s subsidiaries, had refused to provide user data to investigators in cases tied to fraud and terrorism.
On Friday, Roskomnadzor restated its position that WhatsApp had not followed the country’s legal requirements intended to “prevent and combat crime.”
WhatsApp has accused Moscow of trying to cut off millions of users from secure private communication. For many Russians, this confrontation could determine whether encrypted conversations remain accessible at all.
At the same time, the government is promoting MAX, a state-backed messaging app presented as a “safer” national alternative. A close look at the app reveals that it could allow officials to track users more closely, while state media has denied any such possibility.
The crackdown on communication platforms coincides with widespread internet disruptions.
Over the past several months, mobile data shutdowns have affected dozens of regions, with authorities saying the outages are meant to counter Ukrainian drone attacks.
