WhatsApp could soon be banned in Russia, after lawmakers warned that Meta’s messaging app should prepare to leave the country.
Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the Russian parliament’s IT committee, said, “It’s time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market.”
He reasons that Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has long been labelled an extremist organisation in Russia, a status that led to the banning of Facebook and Instagram two years ago when Russia invaded Ukraine.
This development aligns with government strategy aimed at achieving “digital sovereignty.” At the heart of this is MAX, a newly-launched state-backed super-app that blends messaging, digital ID management, tax services, and payments.
Created by VK, the platform is being positioned as Russia’s alternative to foreign platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Last month, President Vladimir Putin signed a law authorising MAX’s development, with the Kremlin moving fast to embed it into everyday public life. Reports show the app already has over two million users and is being pre-installed on smartphones sold in Russia.
Pointing to national security concerns, another lawmaker, Anton Nemkin, declared, “The presence of such a service in Russia’s digital space is, in fact, a legal breach of national security.” The Kremlin has ordered restrictions on software originating from “unfriendly countries,” a list that includes the United States, by September 1. WhatsApp appears firmly in the firing line.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked whether WhatsApp might be banned, responded that all digital services must operate according to Russian law.
The clampdown has already hit other platforms. Viber and Signal are blocked, and YouTube’s traffic has been deliberately slowed. Meta’s other products remain banned. WhatsApp, though heavily relied upon by Russians, now faces a similar fate.
Telegram, however, has been careful to fall in line with local regulations. Founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, the platform is in the process of establishing a Russian legal entity, according to the state communications regulator Roskomnadzor. Lawmakers believe Telegram will avoid being targeted, as long as it continues cooperating with authorities.
Meanwhile, Gorelkin sees MAX stepping into WhatsApp’s space, should Meta’s app be forced out. He made no attempt to hide Russia’s long-term digital strategy: “The state-backed app, MAX, could gain market share should WhatsApp leave.”
