Overview
- Roskomnadzor said WhatsApp is being gradually restricted for non-compliance with Russian law and warned the service could be fully blocked.
- Thousands of users reported slowdowns and outages on Tuesday, with monitoring sites showing widespread disruptions.
- WhatsApp said the measures aim to strip over 100 million people of private, end-to-end encrypted communication before the holiday period and pledged to fight for users.
- Forty-two WhatsApp and Telegram users filed a class-action case in Moscow’s Tagansky District Court against Roskomnadzor and the Digital Development Ministry, alleging constitutional violations.
- The lawsuit cites Central Bank data that fraud predominantly occurs via phone calls and SMS, while authorities continue promoting the state-backed MAX messenger, which critics say raises surveillance concerns.