Russia fully blocks WhatsApp, talks up state-backed alternative
- 8 hours ago
- 1 min read
"Due to Meta's unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed taken and implemented," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, proposing that Russians switch to MAX, Russia's state-owned messenger.
"MAX is an accessible alternative, a developing messenger, a national messenger, and it is available on the market for citizens as an alternative," said Peskov.
Critics say MAX is a surveillance tool. Russian authorities deny this.
The move against WhatsApp, Russia's most popular messenger, is the culmination of six months of pressure on the U.S. company.
It reflects a wider push by the Russian authorities at a time of war to create and control a "sovereign" communications infrastructure in which foreign-owned tech companies submit to local laws or disappear.
Read the full story | REUTERS
