Russia is preparing to restrict WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, as part of its broader effort to assert digital sovereignty and replace foreign tech services with domestic alternatives. A senior lawmaker on Friday warned that WhatsApp should “prepare to leave the Russian market.”
Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the State Duma’s IT committee, stated on Telegram that the state-backed messaging app MAX could fill the gap left by WhatsApp, which is used daily by 68% of Russians. “It’s time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave,” he wrote, pointing to Meta’s classification as an extremist organization in Russia.
Meta’s other platforms, Facebook and Instagram, were banned in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, Russian lawmakers have passed sweeping legislation targeting platforms and content the government labels extremist, with new fines proposed for users accessing such material.
Fellow lawmaker Anton Nemkin echoed Gorelkin’s stance, describing WhatsApp’s continued operation as a “legal breach of national security.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded cautiously when asked about the ban, reiterating that all services must comply with Russian law.
This latest move aligns with President Vladimir Putin’s push for “digital sovereignty.” Last month, he signed a law supporting the development of a domestic messaging platform integrated with state services. The government has also instructed restrictions on foreign software from “unfriendly” countries by September 1.
Critics fear the government-backed app MAX could be used to monitor users, while some suspect Russia may throttle WhatsApp’s performance—similar to what allegedly happened with YouTube, whose Russian daily user base dropped from 40 million in mid-2024 to under 10 million.
As WhatsApp faces uncertain prospects in Russia, shares in VK, the state-controlled tech firm developing local alternatives like VK Video, rose 1.9% on Friday, signaling growing investor confidence in domestic platforms.
