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Russian authorities announced Wednesday they were “partially” restricting calls in messaging apps Telegram and WhatsApp, the latest step in an effort to tighten control over the Internet.
In a statement, government media and Internet regulator Roskomnadzor justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime, saying that “according to law enforcement agencies and numerous appeals from citizens, foreign messengers Telegram and WhatsApp have become the main voice services used to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities.”
The regulator also alleged that “repeated requests to take countermeasures have been ignored by the owners of the messengers.” There was no immediate comment from either platform.
A Whatsapp spokesperson said in a statement that the encrypted messaging app “defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people.”
Russian authorities have long engaged in a deliberate and multipronged effort to rein in the Internet. Over the years, they have adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that won’t comply. Technology has been perfected to monitor and manipulate online traffic.
While it’s still possible to circumvent restrictions by using virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked, too.
Authorities further restricted Internet access this summer with widespread shutdowns of cellphone Internet connections. Officials have insisted the measure was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued it was another step to tighten Internet control.
Russia’s Digital Development and Communications Ministry said this month that along with Internet providers, it was working on a “white list” of essential websites and services users could access during shutdowns.
In Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Russian-installed officials said Wednesday that shutdowns of cellphone Internet may last indefinitely.
The government adopted a law last month punishing users for searching for content they deem illicit and threatened to go after WhatsApp — one of the most popular platforms in the country — while rolling out a new “national” messaging app that’s widely expected to be heavily monitored.
Reports that calls were being disrupted in WhatsApp and Telegram appeared in Russian media earlier this week, with users complaining about calls not going through or not being able to hear each other speak.
According to Russian media monitoring service Mediascope, WhatsApp in July was the most popular platform in Russia, with over 96 million monthly users. Telegram, with more than 89 million users, came a close second.
Both platforms had their run-ins with the Russian authorities in the past. The Kremlin tried to block Telegram between 2018-20 but failed. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media like Facebook and Instagram, and outlawed their parent company, Meta, that also owns WhatsApp, as extremist.
In July, lawmaker Anton Gorelkin said WhatsApp “should prepare to leave the Russian market,” and a new “national” messenger, MAX, developed by Russian social media company VK, would take its place.
MAX, promoted as a one-stop shop for messaging, online government services, making payments and more, was rolled out for beta tests but has yet to attract a wide following. Over 2 million people registered by July, the Tass news agency reported.
Its terms and conditions say it will share user data with authorities upon request, and a new law stipulates its preinstallation in all smartphones sold in Russia. State institutions, officials and businesses are actively encouraged to move communications and blogs to MAX.
The Digital Development and Communications Ministry said access to calls via WhatsApp and Telegram may be reinstated if the platforms “comply with Russian legislation.” It clarified that the partial restrictions, announced by Roskomnadzor, applied only to audio calls.

LONDON: Two Palestinian rights organizations have filed a case with the International Criminal Court over the killing of six Al Jazeera journalists in an Israeli strike on Gaza City.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights called the attack “a clear-cut criminal act — a war crime and part of a broader genocidal campaign — and it demanded a direct, targeted legal response.”
The groups said the strike was part of “a long war on the press” by Israel, which used “recycled accusations” that the victims were “terrorists in press vests.”
The attack on Sunday destroyed the team’s tent, killing leading correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameraman Ibrahim Zaher and driver-cameraman Mohammed Noufal. Al Jazeera initially reported five of its staff had been killed but later revised the figure to four.
Three others also died in the strike: Freelance cameraman Moamen Aliwa, freelance journalist Mohammed Al-Khaldi and Saad Jundiya, a civilian who was at the scene.
The Israel Defense Forces later confirmed the targeting was deliberate, accusing Al-Sharif of leading a Hamas cell and taking part in the Oct. 7 attacks. The allegations followed weeks of public vilification of Al-Sharif by Israeli officials, which had already raised fears for his safety.

Breaking: & file ICC complaint against those behind killing Anas Al-Sharif & colleagues:
Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar, Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor, Gen. A (Unit 8200), Palmachim Airbase Cmdr, “Black Snake” Sq Cmdr & Col. Avichay Adraee.…

— The Hind Rajab Foundation (@HindRFoundation)

The allegations have been rejected by rights groups, Al-Sharif’s colleagues, the UN, European and Arab governments, and Al Jazeera’s Qatari parent network, which accused Israel of systematically targeting its journalists to block coverage from Gaza.
“The killings of Anas Al-Sharif and his colleagues are not isolated incidents,” HRF and PCHR said. “Investigations reveal a systematic policy targeting Al Jazeera journalists.”
The Article 15 communication filed with the ICC focuses on both the operational chain of command that led to Al-Sharif’s killing — HRF’s contribution — and the documented cases of other slain Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza — PCHR’s contribution — which the groups say show “a pattern of premeditation and deliberate targeting.”
The group said it filed the complaint against Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, IDF chief of the General Staff; Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, commander of the Israeli Air Force; Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, Southern Command commander; Brig. Gen. Yossi Sariel, former commander of Unit 8200 (Israel’s signals intelligence branch); General A., current commander of Unit 8200; the commander of Palmachim Airbase (name undisclosed); the commander of the “Black Snake” Squadron (name undisclosed); and Col. Avichay Adraee of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, Arab Media Division, who has been accused of leading a sustained smear campaign against Al-Sharif.
“The evidence is there. The legal foundation is unshakable. The jurisdiction is established beyond question,” the statement said. “What remains is for the International Criminal Court to move past statements of ‘grave concern’ and take the decisive step that justice demands: act.”
The announcement came as US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce declined to condemn Israel over the incident, telling reporters: “We refer you to Israel for information regarding Al-Sharif.”
Bruce expressed respect for journalists in war zones but echoed Israel’s allegations — made without evidence — that Hamas fighters have posed as reporters. “It is a horrible thing to do for those of you committed to finding information to be in that situation,” she said.