Russia to Ban WhatsApp by September 2025, Citing ‘Unfriendly Origins’

The Russian government apparently wants to ensure that the well -known Messenger WhatsApp will be banned in the country within the next few months. The ban could be based on a new directive by Putin, with which one wants to restrict the use of software from “unfriendly countries”.

The WhatsApp owner Meta is considered a “extremist organization” in Russia, but soon the messenger could also be banned there. According to the news agency Reuters recently made a politician working in the IT committee of the Russian Parliament. It is very likely that WhatsApp will end up on a planned list of unwanted software, says Anton Gorelkin, who is the deputy head of the IT committee of the Lower House of the Russian Parliament, which is also known as Duma. This means a new list of “undesirable software” from “unfriendly countries”, which is to be introduced as a result of a corresponding arrangement by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

List of unwanted software by September 1

The new list is to be introduced by September 1, 2025, as this prescribes the instructions of Putin. Gorelkin explained that WhatsApp was probably one of the affected services. With the ban on foreign apps, the Russian government probably wants to ensure that you get more control over the communication of the citizens. Putin had already signed a law in June, according to which a state-sanctioned messaging app is to be developed, which is also linked to Russian government offers.

Ultimately, with this initiative, Russia could get its own “everything app”, as it has established itself with Wechat in China. This also enables extensive surveillance and censorship of the news and content exchanged above. Gorelkin also made no secret of what you want to aim for with the ban on WhatsApp and other products from western development. The state -supported app will probably help to win market shares if WhatsApp can no longer be used, he said.