Russia May Block WhatsApp in 2025
Russia may block the messaging app WhatsApp in 2025. This is according to a Russian senator, Artem Sheykin. He said this on December 23.
WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which was declared an “extremist organization” in Russia two years ago. Facebook and Instagram, also owned by Meta, were blocked in Russia last March. Other messaging apps like Viber and Signal have been blocked since then too.
However, WhatsApp has not been blocked yet. But it did get added to a list of information distributors on December 19. This means it now has to store user data and hand it over to Russian law enforcement if asked.
Senator Sheykin said that if WhatsApp does not comply with Russian laws, blocking the app may happen. He said this would depend on how the company responds to requests from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
Russia has been cracking down on social media companies for some time now. It blocked Facebook and Instagram in March 2022, and Viber and Signal were blocked two years later. YouTube speeds have also been slowed down in Russia since July.
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