WhatsApp Accuses Russia of Blocking Service Over Encrypted Communication Rights
“Telegram actively combats harmful use of its platform including calls for sabotage or violence and fraud,” the company said.
WASHINGTON: WhatsApp, the messaging platform owned by Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), has accused the Russian government of attempting to block its services in an effort to suppress citizens’ rights to secure, encrypted communication.
In a statement released this week, WhatsApp said that Russia’s attempts to restrict the app stem from its commitment to end-to-end encryption, a security feature that prevents anyone—including WhatsApp itself and government authorities—from accessing users’ private messages.
“WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people,” the company said. “We will keep doing all we can to make end-to-end encrypted communication available to people everywhere, including in Russia.”
The move comes as Russian authorities tighten restrictions on foreign-owned tech platforms, accusing them of failing to cooperate with law enforcement, particularly in cases related to fraud and terrorism. Both WhatsApp and Telegram have faced scrutiny.
Telegram, which is widely used in Russia and was founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, responded by highlighting its efforts to combat misuse of the platform. The company stated that it employs AI-powered moderation tools to monitor public content and remove millions of harmful messages daily.
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“Telegram actively combats harmful use of its platform including calls for sabotage or violence and fraud,” the company said.
Russia’s clashes with international tech companies have escalated since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Critics argue that the Kremlin is using national security concerns as a pretext to expand state control over the digital space and limit access to independent information.
As tensions rise, the future of encrypted communication services in Russia remains uncertain, with global tech companies caught between local compliance and the defense of digital privacy rights.
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