Moscow. Technical tension between the Russian government and the world’s most popular messaging platform WhatsApp has reached its peak. Recently WhatsApp has revealed that Russian authorities have attempted to completely disrupt and block its services in the country. This step is being considered a part of Russia’s new digital policy, under which government and indigenous apps are being promoted by curbing foreign technology companies. In particular, the Russian government wants to position its new platform Max as an alternative to WhatsApp.
The number of WhatsApp users in Russia is more than 100 million (10 crore). The company has strongly condemned this effort of Russia and said that it will take all possible technical measures to keep its users connected. It is noteworthy that Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor has removed WhatsApp from the online directory of the Internet, due to which common users are facing huge difficulties in accessing the app. Although the app has not been completely shut down, its services have become extremely slow or limited in many areas. This action is part of Russia’s long-term strategy under which it has already banned social media giants like Facebook and Instagram and the speed of YouTube has also been deliberately slowed down. If WhatsApp is completely blocked, more than 10 crore people will be affected, for whom the app is a primary means of connecting with family, sharing media and business communications. The Russian government has a clear stance that WhatsApp will have to follow local laws and cooperate with government authorities on issues like data sharing to function smoothly in the country. It is a big challenge for Meta (parent company of WhatsApp) to accept Russia’s conditions. From the warnings regarding data security till 2025 and the recent restrictions imposed on the call services of Telegram and WhatsApp, it is clear that Russia is taking a tough stance on its digital sovereignty.