Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Russia has announced restrictions on voice calls made on the WhatsApp and Telegram messaging apps, the latest moves by Moscow to tighten its control over the internet. The curb on calls is set to impact WhatsApp’s estimated 96 million monthly users in Russia and Telegram’s more than 89 million users, according to Russian media monitoring service Mediascope. In a statement on Wednesday, Russia’s media and internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime. … Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has been expanding control over the Russian part of the internet. Security services have frequently claimed that Ukraine was using Telegram to recruit people or commit acts of sabotage in Russia. The Russian government adopted a law last month punishing online users for searching content deemed illicit by authorities.” (08/14/25)