WhatsApp says Russia’s ban on calls is an attempt to ‘violate people’s right to secure communication’

WhatsApp has responded to Russia’s decision to block calls on its platform, saying Moscow is targeting the app precisely because it protects people’s right to private conversation.

“WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and 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,” the company said in a statement.

The platform stressed that it would do everything possible “to make end-to-end encrypted communication available to people everywhere, including in Russia.”

According to Mediascope, WhatsApp’s monthly reach in Russia among users aged 12 and older was 96.2 million people as of July 2025.

Users in Russia began reporting disruptions to calls on WhatsApp and Telegram on August 10–11. According to Forbes Russia, the country’s largest telecom operators — MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, and Tele2 — were asked to block calls on foreign messaging services.

On August 13, the country’s federal censor, Roskomnadzor, officially announced a “partial restriction” on calls made through Telegram and WhatsApp, saying the measure was intended to counter criminal activity.