The Russian communications watchdog threatened on Friday, November 28, 2025, to block WhatsApp entirely if it fails to comply with the law of Russia, news agencies reported.
In August, Russia began limiting some calls on WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms (META.O) and on Telegram, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of refusing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.
On Friday, the Roskomnadzor watchdog accused WhatsApp again of failing to comply with Russian requirements to prevent and combat crime.
“If the messaging service continues to fail to meet the demands of Russian legislation, it will be completely blocked,” Interfax news agency quoted it as saying.
WhatsApp has accused Moscow of trying to block millions of Russians from accessing secure communication.
Russian authorities are pushing a state-backed rival app called MAX, which critics claim could be used to track users. State media have dismissed those accusations as false.
US technology giant Meta, which owns the messaging service, did not immediately comment.
WhatsApp is one of the two most popular messaging services in Russia, alongside Telegram.
Meanwhile, WhatsApp, Telegram users must link to an Active SIM, or face penalties. This aims to prevent misuse and cyber fraud by ensuring the app only works with the active SIM in the device.
Compliance reports are due within 120 days, with penalties for non-compliance.
