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Russia Blocks Telegram, WhatsApp, YouTube via National DNS System
Roskomnadzor throttled Telegram and WhatsApp, alleging legal violations, while promoting Max, a state-backed app lacking end-to-end encryption and pre-installed on all new devices.
- On Tuesday, Roskomnadzor imposed restrictions on Telegram, with outage-monitoring services reporting complaints surged to around 15,000 after problems that began in January.
- Roskomnadzor said it was imposing restrictions because Telegram allegedly violated Russian law, accusing it of failing to combat fraud and criminal use, and announced phased limits to ensure compliance amid Kremlin efforts promoting the state-backed Max and a so-called 'sovereign internet'.
- Media-Heavy features such as voice notes and videos largely failed to load, while text messages generally continued to work, and mobile apps were more affected than desktop clients.
- Many users turned to virtual private networks to bypass throttling as authorities push towards Max, which reached 70 million monthly users in December, disrupting work for some Russians.
- Russia's data-localization laws underpin recent enforcement efforts, and Roskomnadzor has previously targeted foreign services like WhatsApp and YouTube, complicating enforcement as Durov left Russia years ago.
342 Articles
342 Articles
Because the telegram violates Russian laws, disturbs and slows down authorities the service. On the Internet there is fierce criticism - on the front the network is urgently needed.
Russia has blocked on Thursday the WhatsApp messaging app, owned by Meta, to boost its own application, Max, controlled by the Kremlin. Meta, the parent company of several social platforms, includes Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Threats and Manus. Mark Zuckerberg is the president of Meta. He founded Facebook. He then purchased Instagram in 2012 and later WhatsApp in 2014. Moscow has begun restricting access to WhatsApp, Meta’s propri…
WhatsApp Blocked in Russia Following Telegram Restrictions
Instant messaging platform WhatsApp, owned by Meta, has been blocked in Russia for failing to comply with local law, the Kremlin said on Thursday, following restrictions placed on Telegram earlier this week. “Due to Meta’s unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed made and implemented,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Feb. 12, suggesting that Russians switch to state-owned messenger app MAX instead. C…
Russian authorities are becoming increasingly finicky about the internet. To increase their control, popular communication apps are being slowed down and the internet is being shut down for periods of time. Instead, users are being forced to install a state-sanctioned app – where everything they type can be monitored.
Russia Blocks WhatsApp & Imposes More Restrictions on Telegram
Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date. The Russian government has officially blocked WhatsApp and tightened restrictions on Telegram, as part of a broader effort to push citizens toward its state-controlled app. Gett…
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