Restrictions on WhatsApp Use in a Key Country.. Press Report

Lebanon Today

The French newspaper “Le Figaro” published a report on the increasing restrictions on popular instant messaging applications in Russia, such as “WhatsApp” and “Telegram.” These applications are facing increasing restrictions by the Russian authorities, especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the banning of sites such as “Facebook” and “YouTube.”

The newspaper stated that the possibility of a complete ban on “WhatsApp” and “Telegram” in Russia, which seemed unlikely a few months ago, is now a possibility. The use of the two applications is subject to increasing restrictions from the authorities, as residents of about thirty Russian regions complained on October 20 and 22 of significant interruptions that affected their work. Although the south of the country was the most affected, the Ural Mountains, Moscow, and Saint Petersburg regions also witnessed similar reports.

The newspaper pointed out that difficulty accessing instant messaging applications has become a frequent occurrence since the end of the summer, within a broader trend of restricting the Internet in Russia. Although this trend is not new, as it began to take shape about ten years ago through the mass blocking of often foreign websites, the pace of these measures has accelerated significantly after the invasion of Ukraine with the banning of sites such as “Facebook,” “X,” “Instagram,” and “YouTube.”

Last August, Russia witnessed a major step in this direction, as the Russian Parliament decided to ban phone calls via “Telegram” and “WhatsApp” applications, in a move that reflects the tightening of control over the Internet and digital correspondence in an unprecedented manner.

While “WhatsApp” was already the subject of criticism from legislators – as it is affiliated with the American company “Meta” like “Facebook” and “Instagram” – the sudden decision to ban calls surprised millions of citizens and changed their daily habits. Also, another well-known messaging service, “Viber,” is completely banned in Russia.

Since then, even when using one of the few “Virtual Private Network” (VPN) networks available in Russia, calls on “Telegram” and “WhatsApp” have been very slow.