Overview

• On August 13, Russia’s communications regulator announced that encrypted voice calls via WhatsApp and Telegram will be restricted under criminality prevention measures, citing state news agency Ria Novosti.
• Officials accuse the two foreign messaging apps of facilitating fraud and enabling involvement in sabotage and terrorist activities by Russian citizens.
• The new limitation follows recent legislation that penalizes online searches for “extremist” content and bans the promotion of VPNs commonly used to bypass censorship.
• From September 1, all Russian software must integrate the Kremlin-aligned MAX messenger, which forgoes end-to-end encryption and could allow FSB access to private communications.
• Analysts say these moves advance a broader strategy since 2022 to curtail Western platforms and steer users toward domestically controlled services, reinforcing information isolation.