Moscow moves to block WhatsApp for 100m users

WEB DESK: Russia has ordered a full block on WhatsApp, one of the country’s most widely used messaging platforms. The decision, confirmed by Kremlin officials on 12 February 2026, affects more than 100 million users, many of whom have relied on the service for private and encrypted communication.

Kremlin cites legal non-compliance

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the measure was implemented “due to Meta’s unwillingness to comply with the norms and the letter of Russian law”.

Russian authorities, including the communications regulator Roskomnadzor, have long accused WhatsApp owned by Meta of failing to store user data on servers located within Russia, as required under domestic legislation. Officials have also alleged that the platform has been used for fraud, extortion and other criminal activity targeting Russian citizens.

The move follows earlier restrictions on Meta’s other platforms. Both Facebook and Instagram have been blocked in Russia since 2022, when Meta was designated an “extremist organisation” by the authorities. Access to these services has since required the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) for many users.

Promotion of state-backed ‘Max’

Russian officials are actively promoting “Max”, a state-developed national messaging platform positioned as an alternative to Western services. Modelled in part on China’s WeChat, Max integrates messaging with government services, digital payments and other online functions.

Since 2025, Max has been mandatory pre-installation software on all new devices sold within Russia. Its use is increasingly required among public sector employees, teachers and students. Peskov described the platform as “an available alternative”, emphasising its role as a secure and domestically controlled solution.

WhatsApp condemns the move

WhatsApp criticised the decision, stating: “Today the Russian government attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive people to a state-owned surveillance app. Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backward step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia.”

Critics, including rights groups and Pavel Durov, the chief executive of Telegram, argue that the restrictions are intended to expand state surveillance. Max is reported to lack robust end-to-end encryption, prompting concerns about the potential monitoring of user communications.

Wider crackdown on messaging services

The WhatsApp block follows recent curbs on Telegram, another highly popular platform in Russia, widely used even by government bodies and military personnel. Roskomnadzor cited “security concerns” and regulatory non-compliance in limiting Telegram’s operations.

These steps form part of a broader effort by Moscow to construct a more tightly regulated “sovereign internet”, characterised by increasing internet blackouts and the removal of foreign services from the national domain system.

Implications

Many Russians are likely to turn to VPNs to circumvent the restrictions, as has been the case with other blocked platforms. However, the sustained promotion of Max suggests a strategic pivot towards domestically controlled digital infrastructure amid continuing geopolitical tensions.

The episode underscores the widening rift between Russia and Western technology firms, with Moscow placing data sovereignty and state oversight above open access to global digital platforms.