A Russian lawmaker who regulates the IT industry said WhatsApp should prepare to stop offering its services in the country. Anton Gorelkin, the deputy head of the lower house of parliament’s IT committee, said that it’s very likely that WhatsApp will be placed on a list of restricted software, as Reuters reports.
WhatsApp owner Meta is designated as an extremist organisation in Russia, which has banned Facebook and Instagram since 2022. This week, President Vladimir Putin issued a directive for the nation to further restrict software (including communication apps) stemming from “unfriendly countries” that have sanctioned Russia, with a deadline of September 1. Gorelkin said WhatsApp will probably be one such service.
In June, Putin signed a law to create a state-affiliated messaging app that will tie into government services as part of a long-standing effort to rely more on Russian services and less on foreign tech companies — some of which withdrew from the country or scaled down operations there after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Gorelkin suggested that forcing WhatsApp to stop operating in Russia could help the state-backed app gain more market share.