Russia has “partially” blocked certain calling features on the messaging applications Telegram and WhatsApp. This action was taken in response to these platforms allegedly being used “to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities.”
According to a report by Associated Press, the measure was implemented because these platforms are being “used to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities.” The statement did not specify which calling features were affected, but reports from Russian users indicate that both voice and video calls may be impacted.
This is the statement from WhatsApp related to the Russian government’s attempt to block the service.
Our statement on the news about the Russian government's attempt to block WhatsApp:
WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million…
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) August 13, 2025
Telegram has not release any statement as of this posting.
