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WhatsApp said Wednesday that Russia "attempted to fully block" the messaging app to push users to a competing state-controlled service, potentially affecting 100 million users.
"Today the Russian government attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive people to a state-owned surveillance app," WhatsApp posted on X.
Russia's ongoing dispute with foreign tech providers intensified after Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia is pushing a state-backed app called 'MAX', which critics claim could be used to track users. State media have dismissed those accusations as false.
Russia's communications regulator, the Roskomnadzor, has made repeated warnings to WhatsApp to comply with local law.
State-owned Tass Media reported earlier this year that WhatsApp is expected to be permanently blocked in the country in 2026.
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