WhatsApp says Russia tried to fully block service to push state app

1 comments

• ramuel 1 hour ago
  Is WhatsApp really that common in Russia? I would assume most people just use VK and Telegram.
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  • mgrviper 1 hour ago
    It is very common, on par with Telegram. Telegram is also banned as well, everyone is herded to "MAX" messenger, developed by VK ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_(app) )
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    • ramuel 1 hour ago
      Huh, the more you know. That's pretty interesting. I didnt know Telegram was banned nor the popularity of WhatsApp (and the new app) but I suppose it makes sense with the circumstances going on there. Appreciate it!
  • jumpocelot 1 hour ago
    I believe it's quite popular, actually. Data gathered from a leak [1] shows that Russia had the 5th largest share of total WhatsApp users as of 2021.

    [1] https://arxiv.org/pdf/2511.20252