WhatsApp said Russia was trying to block its services because the social media messaging app owned by Meta Platforms offered people's right to secure communication, and vowed to continue trying to make encrypted services available in Russia.

Russia is restricting calls via the foreign messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram, allegedly to defend against terrorists and fraudsters. The Russian telecommunications authority Roskomnadzor stated in Moscow on Wednesday that there were restrictions on voice calls.

Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, claimed the apps have become "the main services used to defraud and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities.