On Thursday, the Kremlin officially announced the blocking of WhatsApp in Russia, attributing the decision to the messaging platform's "resistance to comply with the law". Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the decision was made following WhatsApp's reluctance to adhere to Russian legal regulations. This move comes amidst heightened scrutiny of social media platforms and their operational compliance in Russia, reflecting ongoing tensions between the Russian government and Western tech companies.

In addition to WhatsApp, the ban reportedly encompasses other Meta platforms, namely Facebook and Instagram, although Peskov did not mention these during his comments. The revelation of the blocking was initially reported by the Financial Times. This indicates a continuing crackdown by the Kremlin on foreign-operated social media, aiming to increase control over digital communications within its borders, particularly in the face of dissent and public unrest.

In response to the blockade, WhatsApp has publicly voiced its disapproval, arguing that these actions only result in diminishing security for over 100 million Russian users who rely on the platform for secure and private communications. The company criticized the government's measures as a regressive step, emphasizing the detrimental impact such restrictions could have on user privacy and freedom of expression in Russia.