Gradual Measures to Restrict the App Russia begins restricting some WhatsApp calls

WhatsApp complained on Tuesday about restrictions imposed on its services in Russia, accusing the authorities of attempting to deprive over 100 million Russians of their right to private, end-to-end encrypted communication, just before the holiday season.

The statements came after repeated warnings from the Russian communications authority, Roskomnadzor, which threatened to block the app entirely if it did not comply with Russian law. The authority told state media: “WhatsApp continues to violate Russian law and is being used to organize terrorist activities, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud and other crimes against our citizens,” according to Reuters.

The authority confirmed that it had begun taking gradual measures to restrict the app, while internet service tracking sites showed that thousands of users reported outages and slow service on Tuesday.