Russia is blocking WhatsApp to push ‘surveillance’ app, company says

Russian news outlets reported on Wednesday that WhatsApp’s domain had been completely blocked and was inaccessible without a VPN or another workaround.

WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by social media giant Meta, has accused Russia of attempting to block access for millions of its users to push them towards its state-owned alternative.

“Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backward step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia. We continue to do everything we can to keep users connected,” the company said in an X post on Wednesday.

Moscow’s state-backed platform Max was launched in March 2025 by Russian tech firm VK as a domestic alternative to foreign-owned services such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

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