WhatsApp Ban Ahead of Parliamentary Elections
Meta’s popular messenger WhatsApp is slated for a complete blockade in Russia this year, according to a high-ranking member of the legislature. This move aligns with Russia's preparations for upcoming parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, Moscow is actively promoting its state-approved messaging app, Max, while Telegram remains a preferred alternative.
Official Russian media reported this week that WhatsApp will “finally be blocked” in 2026, quoting a representative from the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. Andrey Svintsov, deputy chairman of the chamber’s Committee for Information Policy, IT and Communications, stated that the decision is justified given the upcoming elections.
“I believe that, indeed, Roskomnadzor will adopt a package of measures for the final blocking of WhatsApp by the end of the year.”
Roskomnadzor (RKN), the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, is Russia’s telecom watchdog. Svintsov explained that the ban is imminent because WhatsApp is owned by Meta, the U.S.-based tech giant behind Facebook, which has been designated an “extremist company” in Russia. The stringent measures against the messaging platform, particularly before the elections scheduled for September, are considered “absolutely justified” by the Russian deputy.
He also noted that a significant number of his friends and acquaintances have already transitioned away from WhatsApp, opting for either Telegram, its most popular alternative, or the domestic messenger, Max. In August 2025, Roskomnadzor announced partial restrictions on calls via both Telegram and WhatsApp in Russia, citing their frequent use by fraudsters. The regulatory body also alleged that these messengers were being utilized to recruit Russian citizens for sabotage and terrorist activities. Representatives of the regulatory body indicated that WhatsApp was specifically targeted for allegedly violating Russian laws.
Russia Promotes Max Messenger Amidst Competition
Russian officials are actively endorsing Max, a domestic, government-supported messenger intended as a replacement for WhatsApp and Telegram. The Russian application, initially released as a beta version in March of the previous year, had garnered 45 million users by October. Local media previously reported that major smartphone manufacturers from China and South Korea had agreed to pre-install Max on all devices sold in the country, as mandated by Russian authorities. Concerns have been raised by critics that Moscow might leverage Max as a surveillance tool.
The Max application is built upon the Max platform developed by VK, formerly known as Vkontakte. VK is the leading social media network in Russia and the Russian-speaking market in the broader region. Vkontakte was co-founded by Telegram’s owner, Pavel Durov, nearly two decades ago. The Russian-born entrepreneur, who once served as VK’s chief executive, sold his stake, resigned, and departed Russia in 2014, citing the company's acquisition by individuals close to President Putin. During his tenure at the networking service, he refused Moscow's demands to censor accounts of both Ukrainian and Russian anti-government protestors. Subsequently, he declined requests from the FSB to provide access to encrypted correspondence between Telegram users deemed of interest to Russia’s powerful security service.
In July 2025, Durov denied reports suggesting Telegram was establishing an office in Russia, characterizing earlier news about the messenger exiting the Russian market as a “targeted campaign to discredit Telegram.” In July, a senior representative of the Kremlin administration asserted that the Russian government had no intention of indiscriminately banning foreign messaging services, provided they adhered to Russian legal requirements.