1 month ago
Last Updated:December 24, 2024, 16:26 IST
Russian senator Artyom Sheykin and Duma official Oleg Matveychev said the ball is now in WhatsApp’s court, whether it should choose to comply or leave.
Russia has asked WhatsApp to comply with local laws and hand over user data to its law enforcement agencies. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
Russia could block the instant messaging app WhatsApp messenger in 2025, Russian senator Artyom Sheykin told state news agency RIA Novosti on Monday.
Sheykin said blocking WhatsApp in Russia will become more likely if the platform refuses to share user information with Russia’s security services, while stressing that foreign companies must comply with Russian legislation or their operations will face hurdles.
“Foreign companies need to comply with [Russian] legislation, otherwise their work will be impossible," he said.
WhatsApp is currently being used by extremist and terrorist organisations while its management refuses to cooperate with Russian security agencies, according to Oleg Matveychev, a deputy in the State Duma, told state-affiliated newspaper Parlamentskaya Gazeta on Monday.
“We have made our move, now the ball is in WhatsApp’s court," he said, further adding that Russian authorities will first check whether WhatsApp would be “ready to cooperate" before blocking it.
On December 19, Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor added WhatsApp and Skype to a register that requires the apps to store user data in Russia and provide it to law enforcement agencies.
Russia has already blocked the popular messaging app Viber for violations of the country’s anti-terror legislation while social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and X have been inaccessible in Russia without a VPN since the early days of the Russian so-called military operation in Ukraine.
State-affiliated newspaper Kommersant reported on Tuesday that Russian authorities were considering blocking all calls from foreign users on popular messaging apps or banning all voice calls on those apps entirely due to a sharp increase in scam calls with about 70 percent originating from abroad.
Location :Moscow, Russia
First Published:December 24, 2024, 16:24 IST
News world Russia Threatens To Pull The Plug On WhatsApp In 2025 Amid Crackdown On Foreign Apps
