Russian authorities have taken new measures to ensure they can monitor all communications from people inside the country, officially blocking access to the popular Met-owned messaging app WhatsApp.

WhatsApp said ua statement shared on social media on Thursday that Russia “tried to completely block WhatsApp in an attempt to force people onto the state surveillance app,” calling it an attempt to isolate “more than 100 million users from private and secure communication.”

WhatsApp called it a “backward step” that would lead to “less security for people in Russia.”

Speaking to reporters in Moscow on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that “the decision was indeed made and implemented” when asked about the WhatsApp ban.

He said the decision was made due to WhatsApp’s unwillingness “to comply with the norms and letter of Russian law.”

The ban appears to stem from Russian legislation that requires all companies listed on the Internet whistleblower registry to store both users’ personal information and data on all electronic messages exchanged within Russia, and to make that information available to government agencies.

Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal agency responsible for monitoring — and censoring — the country’s mass media, added WhatsApp to that registry at the end of 2024.

WhatsApp said in a statement that it will “do everything we can to keep users connected.”

CBS News revealed Thursday that while WhatsApp is blocked for users inside Russia, it is still possible to use the app through a virtual private network (VPN), which is not illegal in the country, despite the Kremlin’s ban.

Earlier this week, another popular messaging app, Telegram, also faced new restrictions in Russia in a move heavily criticized by many citizens. According to Roskomnadzor, which, like all Russian government agencies, uses the platform itself to distribute official announcements, Telegram did not protect users’ personal data.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov, a Russian citizen living in exile in Dubai and facing pending charges in France due to alleged criminal activity on his platform, he criticized the move, saying the real motive was political censorship.

“Russia is restricting access to Telegram in an attempt to force its citizens to use a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship,” he said, adding that “restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right answer.”

Russia earlier forbidden a number of social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) in response to what it said were “discrimination” by the platforms against Russian media following the launch of Moscow’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian state application “Max”.

The “surveillance app” mentioned in the statements by WhatsApp and Telegram’s Durov is a platform called MAX. Launched in 2025 with full government support, it is a multi-purpose app that includes messaging and e-commerce functions, as well as access to a wide range of government services such as medical and municipal check-ups.

Similar to China’s WeChat app, Russian officials are touting MAX as a social network and key portal for government services.

Authorities ordered a government application that will be pre-installed on all new digital devices sold in Russia since last year.

Company notes in their legal terms that it may share user data with Russian authorities upon request, but says it does so only after “conducting a mandatory legal assessment to determine the legality, validity and adequacy of the requested amount of data for the stated purposes,” and that it provides “only the minimum amount of data expressly required by applicable law.”

Indian government last year revoked the previous order that all new devices sold in the country come with a state-developed and state-owned communications app pre-installed, amid protests from opposition politicians and privacy groups who warned it would be intrusive.