Who’s trying to block WhatsApp? Major revelation surfaces

ISLAMABAD: WhatsApp said Russia is trying to block its services because the social media messaging app, owned by Meta Platforms (META.O), opens a new tab that offers people the right to secure communications, and vowed to continue its efforts to make encrypted services available in Russia.

Russia has begun limiting some Telegram and WhatsApp calls, alleging that the foreign-owned platforms have failed to share information with law enforcement in cases of fraud and terrorism.

“WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communications, which is why Russia is trying to block it from more than 100 million Russians,” WhatsApp said in a statement.

“We will continue to do everything we can to provide end-to-end encrypted communication to people everywhere, including in Russia.”

Telegram said its moderators are using AI tools to monitor public parts of the platform to remove millions of malicious messages every day.

“Telegram actively combats harmful use of its platform, including calls for sabotage or violence and fraud,” Telegram said in a statement.

Russia has been embroiled in years of clashes with foreign tech platforms over content and data storage, which intensified after Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine in February 2022, with critics saying Russia was seeking to increase its control over the country’s internet space.