Russia announced on Friday new restrictions on the WhatsApp messaging application, threatening a complete ban on the app if it does not comply with the rules.
Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor , accused the Meta-owned app of “being used to organize and carry out terrorist activities,” as well as “facilitating fraud and other crimes,” according to a statement reported by the Moscow Times.
The agency said that WhatsApp does not comply with requirements aimed at preventing and stopping crime in Russia, and for this reason Roskomnadzor will continue to enforce traditional measures, adding that it will resort to banning measures.
This statement came after a period of reporting widespread problems accessing the application to residents of Moscow and various parts of Russia.
The agency said it would ban WhatsApp entirely if it did not comply with the rules and bring its services into line with Russian laws, and urged users to switch to the government-backed "Max" app.
Russia launched the "Max" app as an alternative to foreign apps, promoting it as a secure platform for schools, universities, and government agencies.
Russian law requires companies to pre-install the application on all smartphones and computers sold in the country.
The same authority had previously announced, last August, restrictions on video calls via the "WhatsApp" and " Telegram " applications.
For its part, WhatsApp accused Moscow of seeking to prevent millions of Russians from accessing secure communications, according to Reuters.
Despite these restrictions, WhatsApp services are still available in Russia.
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