Russia clamps down on WhatsApp and Telegram over data sharing

Calls on foreign-owned platforms curbed as critics say Kremlin is pushing for greater control over Russia’s internet

Russia has announced restrictions on the WhatsApp and Telegram messenger apps, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.

Moscow has clashed with foreign tech platforms for several years over content and data storage in a simmering dispute that intensified after Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with critics saying that Russia is trying to expand its control over the country’s internet space.