Russia has partially restricted calls on WhatsApp, claiming it’s a necessary step to fight fraud, extortion, and terrorism. The government says that foreign messaging apps like WhatsApp are widely used for criminal and subversive activities,

Russian authorities are taking measures to restrict some calls on Telegram and WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms , Russia's Interfax news agency cited Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor as saying on Wednesday.

Russia is restricting calls via the foreign messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram, allegedly to defend against terrorists and fraudsters. The Russian telecommunications authority Roskomnadzor stated in Moscow on Wednesday that there were restrictions on voice calls.