WhatsApp will be completely banned in Russia this year According to State Duma deputy Andrei Svintsov, WhatsApp may be completely blocked in Russia by the end of 2026. He attributes this to the fact that the messenger belongs to Meta, which is recognized as an extremist organization in the country, as well as to the need to strengthen control during the pre-election period.
The deputy noted that many of his acquaintances have already switched to Telegram or the Russian messenger Max.
Earlier, in August, Roskomnadzor had already introduced partial restrictions on calls in WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining this as a fight against fraud and illegal activities. The agency also pointed to repeated violations of Russian law by WhatsApp.