With the Russia-Ukraine war ongoing for over three and a half years, the U.S. has been facilitating discussions to end the conflict. A key part of this has been ongoing dialogue between President Trump, President Putin, and President Zelensky. A meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled for August 15 in Alaska. This meeting comes against the backdrop of recent actions by Russia targeting WhatsApp. WhatsApp has accused Russia of trying to prevent secure conversations for Russian citizens, by blocking calls made through the app. The company believes this is part of an effort to promote local social media and control the internet. Russia claims it has blocked certain calls on WhatsApp and Telegram because these services have allegedly failed to provide information related to fraud and terrorism. While texts and voice notes are still available, the restrictions are part of a growing tension between Russia and foreign tech companies. Russia has previously banned Facebook and Instagram, throttled YouTube speeds, and fined platforms over content regulation. WhatsApp has stated its dedication to providing end-to-end encryption worldwide, including in Russia, to maintain user privacy. Simultaneously, Russia is launching a new messaging app called “MAX”, which will be linked to government services. Concerns have been raised about potential surveillance. Senior officials are encouraging the public to migrate to MAX. This follows a pattern of gradual service restrictions by Russia, as seen with YouTube. A new law increases censorship and imposes penalties for accessing content deemed extremist, even via VPNs. These events highlight Russia’s ongoing efforts to monitor and control its internet space.
