Russia on Friday signalled it may escalate restrictions on WhatsApp, warning the messaging platform could face an outright ban over alleged failure to curb criminal use.
Moscow had already disabled call functionality on the app in August, a move framed as part of tightening controls on foreign-owned digital services. The decision dovetails with an ongoing campaign urging citizens toward domestic, government-aligned platforms.
The country’s telecom regulator, Roskomnadzor, accused the app of enabling serious offences, claiming it has been used to “organise and carry out terrorist acts in the country, to recruit perpetrators, and for fraud and other crimes against our citizens.”
Reiterating the government’s red-line stance, the agency added, “If the messenger fails to comply with Russian legislation, it will be completely blocked.”
The platform is owned by Meta, but the company issued no immediate response to the threat.
Telegram, another widely used messaging service in Russia, faces similar pressure from authorities seeking user data in investigations tied to alleged “terrorist” activities and fraud.
