Likelihood of blocking WhatsApp in Russia remains due to “lack of contact” with security forces

The likelihood of blocking WhatsApp in Russia remains high due to the messenger's "lack of interaction" with Russian law enforcement agencies. This was reported by Oleg Matveichev and Andrey Svintsov, deputy chairmen of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications, according to The Moscow Times, UNN reports.

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Matveychev said that "extremist and terrorist organizations" are active on WhatsApp. According to him, the "attackers" allegedly often used this platform for correspondence. "WhatsApp has no contact with our law enforcement agencies. - Matveichev said. - "We need to do something about this, and we need to see how cooperative this service will be, given that no one is asking this structure for major changes in moderation. We have taken our step, and now the ball is in WhatsApp's court.

Svintsov added that the blocking can be avoided if the messenger starts complying with Russian law. 

WhatsApp remains the only Meta service that has not yet been blocked in Russia. At the same time, Facebook and Instagram were added to the Register of Prohibited Information by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office in 2022.

"On December 20, WhatsApp was officially included in the register of organizers of information dissemination (OID), which allows the Russian Federal Security Service to demand keys from the messenger to decrypt user correspondence. If the messenger refuses to provide the keys, it can be blocked, as they tried to do with Telegram in 2018. In addition, the OPI status obliges the service to store user data, including correspondence, photos, audio and video calls, and provide it to law enforcement agencies upon request. To do this, the organizers of information dissemination must install special equipment at their own expense. Inclusion in the register of OPI does not mean automatic transfer of user data," the publication points out.

In the summer of this year, WhatsApp users in Russia complained about malfunctions in the messenger. Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Society for the Protection of the Internet, suggested that this could be due to testing of a possible blocking. At the same time, Roskomnadzor said that the cause of the failures was allegedly DDoS attacks on telecom operators from abroad.

In August, Verstka reported, citing sources, that the Russian authorities had begun preparations for a possible blocking of WhatsApp.

Against this backdrop, the Russian authorities continue their attempts to block YouTube. In July, Roskomnadzor began slowing down the video hosting service, citing "technical problems" allegedly caused by the wear and tear on Google's servers. The American corporation denied this version. alexander hinstein, who was then head of the state Duma committee on information policy, soon admitted that the restrictions were initiated by the Russian authorities due to "violations of Russian law" by the platform. According to Google's Transparency Report, by December 23, the volume of YouTube traffic in Russia had dropped to 20% of the normal level.

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