Russia has decided to block the popular messaging platform WhatsApp due to alleged non-compliance with Russian legislation, the Kremlin announced on Thursday, according to the AFP news agency.
“Such a decision was indeed made and implemented,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the announced ban.
The announcement comes shortly after WhatsApp said the Russian government tried to “fully block” its services in the country to support a state-sponsored “super” app called Max.
Meanwhile, Peskov added that the decision was taken due to WhatsApp’s “unwillingness to comply with the norms and letter of Russian law”, the agency said. The push comes as the Russian government has cut off access to foreign messaging apps in the country.
What other apps are on Russia’s radar?
In addition to WhatsApp, messaging app Telegram’s services have also been restricted in the northern country, with authorities accusing the platform of refusing to block content it classifies as “criminal and terrorist”.
Telegram also reportedly faces a fine of 64 million rubles ($8,28,000) after allegedly refusing to remove restricted content from the platform and failing to self-regulate, state news agency TASS News reported.
(This is a developing story. Watch for further updates)