Vladimir Putin BANS WhatsApp in Russia, what is the reason? The role of new MAX App explained

Russia has blocked WhatsApp as part of a broader push to strengthen control over its digital space. On February 11, WhatsApp released a statement saying that Moscow had decided to completely restrict its services to promote its own “super” app,

Why WhatsApp Is Banned In Russia: In a major development, the Russian government has banned WhatsApp in order to tighten control over the internet and online communications. Moscow’s state media regulator Roskomnadzor on Tuesday announced that the government is imposing additional restrictions on Telegram as it, according to the regulator, failed to fight fraud and safeguard the personal data of users.

Russian Government’s Previous Actions And Restrictions Against Messaging Platforms

It is to be noted that this is not the first time that Moscow has imposed restriction on WhatsApp. Last year, Russian authorities banned WhatsApp and Telegram calls. The decision came two months after the country imposed restrictions on Apple’s FaceTime. Regulator acted against Snapchat for sharing photos, videos, text messages.

Putin Expands Internet Crackdown

Moscow has intensified efforts to control the internet in the country and for this, several restrictions have been imposed. Websites and platforms that do not adhere the regulations have been banned by the authorities. Several changes have been made in the tech in order to monitor and manipulate the online traffic.

It is to be noted that after the Russian Army’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow banned and blocked major social media platforms like – X, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Russia also blocked Signal And Viber platforms

Not only WhatsApp and Telegram but also the Russian authorities have blocked the encrypted messenger Signal and the popular app Viber last year. Roskomnadzor stated that the apps were being used for criminal activities.

Russia Starts Promoting State-Backed MAX App

Meanwhile, authorities are actively promoting a “national” messenger app – MAX. it is a state-backed messenger app which is developed by VK. The app was officially launched in March last year and comes pre-installed on smartphones and other devices in Russia. According to critics, it is a surveillance tool.

According to developers and officials, the platform is an all-in-one service for messaging, payments, and more. The app said that the user data can be shared with government if asked.

Experts added that the app does not offer end-to-end encryption.

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