Both platforms had their run-ins with the Russian authorities in the past. The Kremlin tried to block Telegram between 2018-20 but failed. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media like Facebook and Instagram, and outlawed their parent company, Meta, that also owns WhatsApp, as extremist.

WhatsApp has responded to Russia’s decision to block calls on its platform, saying Moscow is targeting the app precisely because it protects people’s right to private conversation.