Overview
- Russia’s media regulator said it is considering a complete ban on WhatsApp after restricting voice calls since August.
- The government is steering users to Max, a VK-built super-app modeled on Chinese platforms, which has been preinstalled on new phones and tablets since September 1.
- WhatsApp, used by about 100 million people in Russia, stresses its end-to-end encryption and says it does not share message data with authorities.
- Lawyers and civil liberties advocates warn that an app without comparable encryption could become a powerful tool for surveillance.
- User reactions are split, with some calling a forced switch a curb on freedoms and others backing a move to domestically controlled services.