On July 1, Russian authorities initiated a nationwide trial aimed at restricting access to popular messaging platforms Telegram and WhatsApp. This move comes on the heels of President Putin’s recent signing of legislation that paves the way for the establishment of a state-controlled “sovereign messenger.” Reports indicate that at approximately 11 PM on June 30, users across Russia experienced simultaneous outages of these messaging services.
According to Downdetector, nearly 12,000 outage reports for Telegram and 1,500 for WhatsApp were recorded within a 24-hour span. The majority of these reports emerged from the Nizhny Novgorod region and the Republic of Tatarstan, highlighting the trial’s targeted nature.
Analysts have characterized this event as a “targeted shutdown of messengers,” suggesting it serves as a rehearsal for a potential complete ban. Notably, competing platforms did not experience simultaneous failures, and services were quickly restored when accessed via VPN, indicating a controlled approach to the outages.
Government Initiatives for a Sovereign Messenger
This trial follows the enactment of a law on June 24, which mandates the development of a state-controlled messaging platform under the supervision of the FSB. Russian Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev has indicated that this forthcoming app, reminiscent of WeChat, will incorporate features such as encrypted chats, document storage, payments, and digital ID functionalities, all governed by strict security protocols.
Earlier in June, Russia’s parliament had already approved legislation requiring the establishment of a national instant-messaging platform by 2026, aimed at replacing foreign applications like WhatsApp and Telegram for both official and public use.
