Russia has officially blocked the popular messaging app WhatsApp after the service failed to comply with local legislation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
Peskov told reporters that the decision was implemented due to WhatsApp’s “reluctance to comply with the norms and letter of Russian law.”
He urged the app’s approximately 100 million Russian users to switch to Max, a domestic messaging platform developed in Russia that lacks end-to-end encryption and has been criticized by activists as a potential surveillance tool.
“Max is an accessible alternative, a developing messenger, a national messenger. And it is an alternative available on the market for citizens,” Peskov said.
WhatsApp, owned by US-based Meta, stated on Wednesday that it believed Russian authorities were attempting to fully block the service in order to force users onto Max.
“We continue to do everything we can to keep users connected,” the company said in response.
Rights groups and critics have described the move as part of a broader Kremlin effort to tighten control over internet communications and increase surveillance capabilities within Russia.
Separately, Russia’s internet watchdog Roskomnadzor announced on Tuesday that it would impose “phased restrictions” on the Telegram messaging platform, accusing it of similar non-compliance with local laws.
The restrictions on WhatsApp and potential curbs on Telegram reflect ongoing tensions between Russian authorities and foreign-owned tech platforms, as Moscow pushes for greater use of domestically developed alternatives amid geopolitical pressures and domestic security concerns.
