Russia has restricted voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, accusing them of failing to cooperate with law enforcement on fraud and terrorism cases.

The Russian communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, said it was taking steps to partially block calls on these platforms, while other features remain available.

Officials said access to calls could be restored if the companies comply with Russian legal requirements.

Meta, the US-based owner of WhatsApp, said it would continue providing encrypted communications, and Telegram said it removes harmful content from its platform.

Reuters reported that WhatsApp calls have been disrupted since August 11, 2025, and Telegram calls have mostly stopped.

Authorities said the apps must set up local legal entities and work with Russian regulators to have restrictions lifted.

Russia has been increasing its control over internet services and has authorized the development of a state-backed messaging app to reduce reliance on foreign platforms.

🔗 Source: The Guardian

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Technical throttling emerges as governments’ preferred alternative to outright platform bans

Russia’s approach of degrading call quality rather than completely blocking WhatsApp and Telegram represents a more sophisticated strategy than previous heavy-handed bans.

Users are experiencing calls that won’t connect and “metallic buzzing” sounds instead of complete service shutdowns 1. This technical degradation allows the government to maintain plausible deniability while making the platforms less useful.

This method proves more effective than Russia’s previous failed attempt to block Telegram entirely, which users circumvented through various technical workarounds 2.

The selective targeting of voice calls while preserving messaging functionality suggests Russia learned from past blocking failures and is now using more nuanced pressure tactics.

By keeping basic messaging available for WhatsApp’s 100+ million Russian users while crippling calls, the government avoids the public backlash that would come from a complete shutdown 1.

2️⃣ Digital sovereignty requires practical compromises that reveal policy contradictions