Russia Just Put WhatsApp on Mute

Russia has decided WhatsApp’s days of free-flowing calls are numbered. As of mid-August, voice and video calls on WhatsApp (and Telegram) have been quietly throttled, with Reuters reporters confirming that call features no longer connect.

Officials claim the apps aren’t doing enough to help fight fraud and terrorism. Messaging still works, for now, but the warning is loud: comply with local data laws or face the door.

According to AP News, WhatsApp’s parent, Meta, isn’t budging. End-to-end encryption, they argue, is the whole point, not a negotiable feature. That’s not the answer Moscow wants, especially as it promotes its homegrown messenger, Max, which TechRadar notes will come pre-installed on new smartphones from September.

This isn’t a sudden “flip the switch” ban. It’s the slow-boil method: take away calls, make users uncomfortable, then nudge them toward state-approved alternatives. The endgame? A Russia where your chats are local, monitored, and at least in the regulator’s eyes, safer.

Whether users buy into that vision or fire up their VPNs is the real battle ahead. And in the meantime, for millions of Russians, the familiar WhatsApp call tone is already fading.