Russia attempted to ‘fully block’ WhatsApp, Meta-owned company says

Move is a ‘backwards step’, company spokesperson says, amid concerns Kremlin is seeking more state control via messaging apps such as Max

The latest rift between Russia and WhatsApp comes amid a broader crackdown on social media. Stock image. 

Russia has attempted to “fully block” WhatsApp in an attempt to push users towards its own state-sponsored communications app, Max, a spokesperson for the Meta-owned company has said.

The company did not reveal more detail on what extent the attempt succeeded or what action was taken to try to block the app.