WhatsApp has accused Moscow of attempting to block millions of Russians from using secure communication after restrictions were placed on calls through the messaging app, amid Russia’s push to promote domestic social media platforms and tighten control over its internet. On Wednesday, Russia announced restrictions on certain WhatsApp and Telegram calls, claiming that these foreign-owned platforms were not sharing required information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism investigations. Text messaging and voice note features remain unaffected.

Tensions with foreign tech companies have escalated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, leading to the blocking of Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, slowed access to Alphabet’s YouTube, and fines for platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations on online content and data storage.

“WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and resists government attempts to undermine secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it for over 100 million users,” WhatsApp said Wednesday, adding that it will continue efforts to maintain encrypted communication globally, including in Russia.

Telegram stated that it uses AI tools to monitor public sections of its platform, removing millions of harmful messages daily, and emphasized its efforts to prevent misuse such as calls for violence or fraud. According to Mediascope data, WhatsApp reached 97.3 million users in Russia in July 2025, compared with 90.8 million for Telegram. The third-largest platform, VK Messenger, operated by state-controlled VK, reached 17.9 million users.