Russia Blocks WhatsApp, Pushes Users to State App MAX
Moscow blocked WhatsApp for alleged legal noncompliance and is steering 100 million Russian users to the state-backed MAX app, launched in 2025 and criticized as a surveillance tool.
Overview
The Kremlin confirmed that Russia has blocked WhatsApp, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying "a decision was indeed made and implemented" because Meta would not comply with Russian law.
Roskomnadzor added WhatsApp to its register in late 2024 under rules requiring companies on the list to store user details and message data for government access.
WhatsApp said the block was a "backwards step" that would lead to "less safety for people in Russia" and vowed to "do everything we can to keep users connected."
Meta said Moscow was trying to drive 100 million Russian users onto MAX, a state-owned app launched in 2025 that critics describe as a surveillance tool and officials present as a services portal.
Telegram has also faced new restrictions, and its founder Pavel Durov said the moves were meant to force citizens to use a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Russia’s actions as an authoritarian 'crackdown' on communications, emphasizing surveillance risks (e.g., 'unencrypted' state app, mandatory pre-installation) and user disruptions to Telegram. They foreground Meta’s statement and user reports, using evaluative language and selective historical context to depict Moscow tightening control.
Sources (3)
FAQ
MAX is a Russian messenger and e-commerce superapp launched by VK in 2025, offering messaging, voice/video calls, file transfers, payments via Russia's Faster Payment System, government services integration like Gosuslugi, and AI tools like GigaChat.
Russia blocked WhatsApp for non-compliance with laws requiring storage of user details and message data for government access, as confirmed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Roskomnadzor.
MAX collects user metadata like IP addresses, contacts, activity timestamps, location data, search history, and personal identifiers, which can be shared with authorities; it is pre-installed on devices and criticized as a surveillance tool.
Yes, a 2025 federal law requires MAX to be pre-installed on all new mobile devices sold in Russia after September 1, 2025, and authorities are blocking alternatives like WhatsApp to promote it.
Telegram faces new restrictions including slowdowns and fines for alleged non-compliance, as part of efforts to push users to state-controlled MAX.
History
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