Russia Kills WhatsApp, Pushes Citizens Toward State-Owned App
Russia fully blocks WhatsApp over Meta's refusal to follow local laws, steering users to government-controlled Max messenger.
WhatsApp is officially dead in Russia. The Kremlin confirmed it has completely blocked Meta's messaging platform, accusing the company of refusing to comply with Russian law.
The move cuts off one of the last major Western communication tools still operating in the country. Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, apparently wouldn't bend to whatever demands Russian authorities put on the table.
Russia's proposed alternative? Max — a state-owned messaging app. The government is actively pushing its citizens to make the switch, which is exactly as subtle as it sounds.
This isn't Russia's first swipe at Meta. The company has faced escalating restrictions in the country for years. But fully killing WhatsApp marks a significant escalation — ripping away a platform used by millions of Russians for everyday communication and replacing it with something the state controls entirely.