WhatsApp Blocked: Russia's Digital Grip 🇷🇺🔥

World News

Russia’s current list of “undesirable organizations” encompasses more than 275 entities, including several prominent independent news outlets and human rights groups. This list includes well-known organizations such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Chatham House think tank, Transparency International’s anticorruption group, and the World Wildlife Fund environmental advocacy organization. Founded in 1978, Human Rights Watch monitors human rights violations in countries around the world. Meanwhile, Russia’s state communications watchdog threatened on Friday to completely block WhatsApp if the messaging service fails to comply with Russian law. In August, Russia began limiting some calls on WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, and on Telegram. This followed accusations that the foreign-owned platforms were refusing to share information with law enforcement regarding fraud and alleged “terrorism” cases. Roskomnadzor, the state communications watchdog, reiterated these accusations on Friday, stating that WhatsApp was failing to meet Russian legislative requirements designed to prevent and combat crime. “If the messaging service continues to fail to meet the demands of Russian legislation, it will be completely blocked,” Interfax news agency reported. Russian authorities have accused WhatsApp of attempting to block millions of Russians from accessing secure communication. Furthermore, Russian authorities are promoting a state-backed rival app, MAX, which critics claim could be used for user tracking. State media have dismissed these accusations as false.