RUSSIAN LAWMAKERS URGE WHATSAPP BAN FOR SECURITY REASONS

Sat 19 July 2025:

Anton Gorelkin, First Deputy Chair of the Duma Committee on Information Policy, stated in a written announcement that WhatsApp, as a Meta product, could soon be included in the list of apps from “unfriendly countries” subject to restrictions. He commented, “It’s time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market.”

Committee member Anton Nemkin echoed the sentiment in remarks to Russian state news agency TASS, saying, “The fate of WhatsApp in Russia is sealed. Its presence in the country’s digital space is a violation of national security.” He emphasized that its addition to the restricted apps list is “a matter of time.”

Russia previously blocked access to Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram in 2022, citing the spread of unlawful information. Meta was subsequently declared an extremist organization by Russian authorities.

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https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

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Russia’s grip on social media is a calculated move to control information and shape narratives, both domestically and abroad. The government, under Putin, has steadily tightened its hold over the internet since the early 2010s, when protests fueled by online platforms like VKontakte and Twitter spooked the Kremlin. They saw social media as a wildcard—capable of rallying dissent or amplifying foreign influence.

First, the legal framework. Russia passed laws like the 2012 “Internet Blacklist” and the 2015 “Data Localization Law,” forcing companies to store Russian users’ data on local servers, giving authorities easier access. The 2019 “Sovereign Internet” law took it further, allowing the government to throttle or disconnect the internet entirely during “emergencies.” These laws give Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media watchdog, teeth to censor or block platforms that don’t comply.Censorship is aggressive.

Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram got banned or throttled after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine for refusing to remove content the Kremlin labeled as “false.” YouTube’s been on shaky ground, with access restricted when it doesn’t play ball. Domestic platforms like VKontakte and Telegram face pressure to self-censor or hand over user data. Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, famously resisted until he left Russia, and even now, Telegram walks a tightrope.

Disinformation is another tool. State-backed troll farms, like the Internet Research Agency, churn out propaganda, sow division abroad, and drown out critics at home. They’ve targeted elections, like the 2016 U.S. vote, with coordinated campaigns. Meanwhile, Russia pushes its own platforms, like Yandex and VK, to keep users in a controlled ecosystem.

But it’s not airtight. VPNs are widely used to bypass blocks, and younger Russians still find ways to access global platforms. The cat-and-mouse game continues—activists adapt, the government cracks down harder.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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