Roskomnadzor has restricted calls to Telegram and WhatsApp

Roskomnadzor said it has imposed partial restrictions on voice calls in messengers Telegram and WhatsApp. According to the agency, these services have become key channels for phone fraud, as well as the involvement of Russian citizens in illegal activities.

The measure was introduced in response to law enforcement materials and numerous appeals from citizens, the RCN said in a statement. The rest of the messengers’ functions continue to work without restrictions.

The measure was introduced in response to materials from law enforcement agencies and numerous appeals from citizens.

Calls via messengers have been restricted due to criminal activity

Roskomnadzor specified that WhatsApp and Telegram have become “the main voice services used for deception and extortion of money, involvement in subversive and terrorist activities of Russian citizens.” As a result, the agency has started taking measures to block the voice functionality.

Representatives of the largest telecom operators – MTS, MegaFon, Beeline and Tele2 – earlier suggested blocking calls in foreign messengers. This was reported by Forbes and journalist Ksenia Sobchak, citing a government source. RBC confirmed that such an initiative was indeed put forward in May, but was not supported.

Rostelecom chief Mikhail Oseevsky said his company was not aware of any such requests from operators.

The State Duma fears a negative reaction to blocking

The first deputy chairman of the Duma’s Information Policy Committee, Anton Tkachev (New People), has criticized the ban on voice calls in messengers. He believes that this will cause discontent among citizens and lead to mass attempts to circumvent blocking, which in turn will complicate the fight against cyber fraudsters. According to him, the operators’ proposal is utopian.

Tkachev also noted that users are calling less and less frequently via traditional telephony, causing telecom companies to lose the revenue they need to maintain their infrastructure. At the same time, it’s becoming more expensive to maintain – in terms of providing stable communications.

On Aug. 10 and 11, users complained about disruptions in WhatsApp and Telegram. The RKN did not comment on a possible link to the testing of restrictions. RBC’s source in one of the telecom operators denied this version.

Some users complained about disruptions in WhatsApp and Telegram on August 10 and 11.

The authorities are considering banning WhatsApp

Back in July, Anton Gorelkin, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma’s IT committee, said that WhatsApp, “with a very high degree of probability,” could get on the list of software from unfriendly countries to be restricted. He emphasized that the service should prepare for a possible withdrawal from the Russian market.

He said WhatsApp is used daily by 68% of Russians, while Telegram is used by 55%. The deputy mentioned a Russian messenger as an alternative, but did not specify its name.

The deputy said the service should be prepared for a possible withdrawal from the Russian market.

Gorelkin noted that Telegram would not be included in such a list – provided it complies with Russian law. Pavel Durov himself called the reports about Telegram’s possible departure from Russia fake and linked them to a campaign to discredit the platform.

WhatsApp leads in reach in Russia

According to Mediascope’s April 2025 data, WhatsApp remains the most popular internet service in Russia. Its monthly reach is 97.4 million people (79.2% of the population over 12 years old). Its average daily reach is 84.4 million (68.6%).

In comparison, the social network VKontakte has 93.8 million monthly and 59.2 million daily. Telegram ranks third with 90.5 million and 68.3 million, respectively.