Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, announced that the Russian government attempted on Wednesday to ban the popular messaging app, with the aim of forcing users to switch to a competing service subject to state control.
WhatsApp stated in a statement published on the “X” platform: “The Russian government tried to completely ban the WhatsApp application in order to push people towards a controlled application owned by the state,” and added: “Seeking to deprive more than 100 million users of private and secure communications is a step backwards that can only reduce the safety of people in Russia.”
The application confirmed that it “continues to do everything in its power to keep users connected.”
In a related context, the Russian government had intensified its efforts to put pressure on the Telegram messaging application earlier this week, as the Internet Oversight Authority imposed restrictions on the application due to accusations of violations.
Moscow threatens various Internet platforms with a complete or partial ban on them if they do not comply with Russian laws, which require storing data of Russian users inside the country, and seeks to get rid of platforms that are used, according to Moscow, for “criminal and terrorist purposes.”
The Telegram application, founded by Russian Pavel Durov, who has French citizenship, is considered one of the most used messaging applications in Russia, along with WhatsApp.
“Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right solution,” Durov said in a post on his Telegram channel on Tuesday, accusing Moscow of “trying to force citizens to switch to an application subject to state control and designed for surveillance and political censorship.”
Russian authorities encourage the use of the new Max messaging app, but it is still much less widespread. (Erm News)
