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WhatsApp could soon be banned in Russia  here's all you need to know

Date:
Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:09:59 +0000

Description:
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in Russia, but "theres a 
99-percent chance" authorities will kill it.

FULL STORY

People in Russia may soon need to find a replacement for WhatsApp, the most
popular messaging app across the country. 

 Talking to Reuters on Friday, July 18, 2025, the Deputy Head of the Russian
parliament's Information Technology Committee, Anton Gorelkin, said that 
"it's time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market," adding that
Meta has been designated as an extremist organization in Russia. 

On Tuesday, July 22, Russia passed a law to punish online searches for
so-called 'extremist' content, while adding new penalties to those using VPN
services.

How likely is WhatsApp to leave Russia?
 
Russian authorities haven't shared any details on how or when the WhatsApp 
ban will be enforced. 

That said, Meta, the provider behind WhatsApp, has already been designated as
an extremist organization, with two of its other services (Facebook and
Instagram) being banned since 2022 . 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, however, also reiterated the fact that
WhatsApp "has certain duties under laws of the Russian Federation" that must
be fulfilled  Interfax reported . 

Two more government sources have then confirmed to Meduza , a Russian
Independent media outlet, that "theres a 99-percent chance" the WhatsApp 
block will happen. 

The looming WhatsApp ban comes as the Kremlin is developing its own messaging
app with government services integrated. From September 2025, Max is set to 
be installed on every device sold in Russia, the Independent reported .

Can a VPN help?

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts users' internet connections while
spoofing their real IP address. The latter skill is generally used to bypass
this type of internet geo-blocking  something Russian authorities have been
trying to prevent for a long time. 

From ever-sophisticated VPN blocking tactics, which make many VPN services
stop working, the Kremlin even criminalized the spread of information about
ways to circumvent internet restrictions in March 2024, forcing the likes of
Apple to remove some VPN apps from its official App Store.

Now, a new law further complicates things for VPN users. Starting from July
22, there are new penalties for people searching for and accessing "knowingly
extremist materials," including when they do that while connected to a VPN. 

Furthermore, lawmakers have reportedly also adopted a provision that makes
using a VPN to access extremist content -- something that WhatsApp may be set
to become -- "a crime as an aggravating factor."

======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/whatsapp-could-soon-be-bann
ed-in-russia-heres-all-you-need-to-know

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