On August 13, Russia’s media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, announced partial restrictions on calls made through the Telegram and WhatsApp messaging apps. These WhatsApp and Telegram call restrictions were officially stated as part of an effort to combat crime, claiming the services “have become the primary voice platforms for fraud, extortion, and drawing citizens into sabotage and terrorist activities.”
Russian authorities assert they took this step because the messenger platforms had ignored their demands to counter criminal activity. In turn, Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development clarified that the restrictions would be lifted once the messengers comply with legal requirements.
Key among these requirements is providing authorities with access to users’ encrypted messages, which would strip them of their anonymity. This could have severe consequences for opponents of Russia’s war against Ukraine and opposition figures, placing them at risk of arrests, lengthy prison terms, and even assassinations, as was the case with Alexei Navalny.
Reaction from Telegram and WhatsApp Regarding These Call Restrictions
- Telegram commented on August 14, in remarks to Kremlin-aligned media, that it actively combats malicious content on its platform. The company stated that its moderators and neural networks daily remove millions of materials related to incitement to violence, fraud, and sabotage. However, the messenger did not specify whether it would comply with Russian authorities’ demands to provide access to encrypted data.
- WhatsApp issued an official statement on the matter: “WhatsApp is private, by default protected with end-to-end encryption, and resists government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication – which is why Russian authorities are trying to block WhatsApp for over 100 million of our users in the country.” WhatsApp emphasized that it would do everything possible “to ensure end-to-end encrypted communication remains accessible to people worldwide, including in Russia.”