WhatsApp responded to Roskomnadzor's statement about blocking calls on the messenger for crime prevention purposes, accusing Russia of "attempting to violate people's right to secure communication." The messenger team published the corresponding statement on social media X in both Russian and English.
"WhatsApp is confidential, protected by default with end-to-end encryption, and resists government attempts to violate people's right to secure communication — that's why the Russian authorities are trying to block WhatsApp for over 100 million of our users in the country," the statement said.
According to WhatsApp representatives, they "will continue to do everything possible to ensure that communication protected by end-to-end encryption remains accessible to people worldwide," including in Russia.
The day before, Roskomnadzor officially confirmed the restriction of calls on Telegram and WhatsApp. "According to law enforcement agencies and numerous citizen appeals, foreign messengers Telegram and WhatsApp have become the main voice services used for fraud and extortion, as well as for involving Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities," the press service of the agency stated the reasons for the ban.
The first to make a statement was Telegram. "Telegram fights against the malicious use of its platform, including calls for sabotage, violence, and fraud. Moderators using special AI tools actively monitor the public sections of the platform and process complaints to remove millions of malicious messages daily. Additionally, Telegram was the first to implement detailed privacy settings for calls, allowing each user to independently decide from whom to accept calls or to completely disable them," the messenger's press service reported.
According to "Kommersant," in the first day after the blocking of calls via WhatsApp and Telegram in Russia, traffic on communication networks increased by 9% across the country, and in some regions by 25%.
In Russia, FaceTime, Zoom, Google Meets, and Microsoft Teams continue to operate, which have also significantly increased their number of users in recent days.
According to the head of "First Department"** and cybersecurity expert Dmitry Zair-Bek, the blocking of calls in messengers is not related to user safety but is a continuation of the general trend towards restrictions in all areas of public life. "This is done to ensure complete control over all spheres of life," said Zair-Bek.
* The company Meta, which owns WhatsApp, is recognized as "extremist" in Russia.
** Recognized as a "foreign agent" in Russia.