Russian officials say foreign messaging services that do not comply with national laws pose a legal and security threat to the country.
WhatsApp Under Fire in Russia as Kremlin Pushes State Messaging App. Russian lawmakers have declared the instant messaging app WhatsApp a threat to national security.
This announcement comes at a time when President Vladimir Putin has signed a law authorizing the creation of a state-sponsored messaging app called MAX. According to officials, the government designed MAX to integrate with public services and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
In response to these developments, Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the State Duma’s information policy committee, issued a strong warning: “It’s time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market.”
Furthermore, he emphasized that Russia has already designated Meta as an extremist organization and noted that 68 percent of Russians still actively use WhatsApp. He stated that removing WhatsApp from the market would create a significant opportunity for the state-backed MAX platform to grow.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities argue that foreign messaging services violate national laws and threaten the country’s legal and security framework. They insist that all services must comply with Russian legislation.
Since 2022, the government has already restricted Meta’s other platforms, Facebook and Instagram, for failing to follow Russian state policies during a period of geopolitical tension.
Overall, with this new law and aggressive messaging, the Russian government is actively pushing for digital isolation, building a self-reliant tech infrastructure, and tightening control over the flow of information.
