WhatsApp will no longer work in Russia, government imposed ban

The conflict between Russia and American tech companies has once again deepened. In the latest development, messaging platform WhatsApp has claimed that Russia is taking steps towards imposing a complete ban on its services. The company spokesperson said that they are making every effort to keep Russian users connected, but the situation there is becoming increasingly complex.

Strict stance against the company

According to reports, some services of WhatsApp were already limited in Russia and now there are reports of it being completely blocked. Earlier, Russia’s communications regulatory body Roskomnadzor had removed WhatsApp from its official online directory. It is said that about one million people in Russia were using this platform. Its removal from the directory was considered to be a sign that the government was taking a tough stance against the company.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, Russia has taken action against many American and Western companies. The government argues that foreign platforms are not following the laws of the country. Also, the Russian administration is encouraging its citizens to use the government app called ‘MAX’. However, critics allege that the activities of citizens can be monitored through this app.

officials claim

This is not the first action on WhatsApp. Last year, Russia had banned the calling services of WhatsApp and Telegram. The government said that these platforms are not sharing necessary information with security agencies in cases related to fraud and terrorism. In December, Russia also banned Apple’s FaceTime and Snapchat. Officials claimed that these apps were being used for criminal and terrorist activities.

As far as lifting the ban is concerned, the Kremlin says that reconsideration of the situation is possible if Meta follows Russian laws and cooperates with the authorities. The government spokesperson clarified that this issue is completely related to compliance with the law. If the company refuses to follow the rules, the ban on WhatsApp is likely to continue.