Russia is attempting to fully block WhatsApp, aiming to compel over 100 million users to adopt a state-owned surveillance application as part of a broader crackdown on messaging platforms.

• WhatsApp stated that restricting private communication is a "backwards step" and diminishes safety for users in Russia.
• The move follows Russia's further curbing of access to Telegram, which also has an estimated 100 million users in the country.
• Russia's communications regulator, the Roskomnadzor, has made repeat warnings to WhatsApp concerning compliance with local data storage laws, with a permanent ban possibly by 2026.
• Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, has been designated an "extremist organisation" in Russia since 2022, leading to blocks on Instagram and Facebook.
• Telegram's CEO, Pavel Durov, criticized Russia's actions as an attempt at surveillance and political censorship, drawing parallels to Iran's similar efforts.