Russia Blocked WhatsApp For Over 100 Million Users Nationwide

Russia reportedly attempted a nationwide block of WhatsApp via Roskomnadzor, causing widespread outages and steering over 100 million users toward the Kremlin-backed MAX “super app,” which critics say enables state surveillance. The report describes broader moves under the “sovereign internet” strategy—including curbs on encrypted services (WhatsApp, Telegram), VPN throttling, and prior restrictions—warns of increased privacy and security risks (e.g., interception and phishing via state apps), and notes users’ shrinking options for secure communication.