WhatsApp says Russia has tried to fully block the messaging app

Russia has attempted to fully block WhatsApp in the country, the company said, the latest move in an ongoing government effort to tighten control over the internet.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said late Wednesday that the Russian authorities' action was intended to “drive users to a state-owned surveillance app,” a reference to Russia's own state-supported MAX messaging app that's seen by critics as a surveillance tool.

“Trying to isolate over 100 million people from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia,” the WhatsApp spokesperson said. "We continue to do everything we can to keep people connected.”

Russia's government has already blocked major social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and ramped up other online restrictions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said WhatsApp owner Meta Platforms should comply with Russian law to see it unblocked, according to the state Tass news agency.

Earlier this week, Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said it will introduce new restrictions on the Telegram messaging app after accusing it of refusing to abide by the law. The move triggered widespread criticism from military bloggers, who warned that Telegram was widely used by Russian troops fighting in Ukraine and its throttling would derail military communications.

Despite the announcement, Telegram has largely been working normally. Some experts say it’s a more difficult target, compared with WhatsApp. Some Russian experts said that blocking WhatsApp would free up technological resources and allow authorities to fully focus on Telegram, their priority target.

Authorities had previously restricted access to WhatsApp before moving to finally ban it Wednesday.

Under President Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in deliberate and multipronged efforts to rein in the internet. They have adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that don’t comply, and focused on improving technology to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Russian authorities have throttled YouTube and methodically ramped up restrictions against popular messaging platforms, blocking Signal and Viber and banning online calls on WhatsApp and Telegram. In December, they imposed restrictions on Apple’s video calling service FaceTime.

While it’s still possible to circumvent some of the restrictions by using virtual private network services, many of them are routinely blocked, too.

At the same time, authorities actively promoted the “national” messaging app called MAX, which critics say could be used for surveillance. The platform, touted by developers and officials as a one-stop shop for messaging, online government services, making payments and more, openly declares it will share user data with authorities upon request. Experts also say it doesn’t use end-to-end encryption.

Passengers look at their smartphones while on the subway in Moscow, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

A woman looks at her smartphone at a bus stop in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

A young woman looks at her smartphone while on the subway in Moscow, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

People look at their smartphones at a bus stop in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

FILE - A WhatsApp icon is displayed on an iPhone, Nov. 15, 2018, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The advocate general for European Union’s highest court on Thursday urged the court to annul a 2023 European Commission decision to release billions in funding to Hungary that had been suspended over rule-of-law and corruption concerns.

The European Commission in 2022 suspended the money to Budapest over what it said was democratic backsliding by Hungary's right-wing populist government and failures to tackle corruption and ensure judicial independence. A year later, the Commission found that the government had carried out sufficient reforms to have around 10.2 billion euros ($12.1 billion) released.

But in a non-binding opinion on Thursday, Advocate General Tamara Ćapeta urged the European Court of Justice to annul the decision that unfroze the funds, arguing that Hungary had not carried out the required judicial reforms by the time they were released.

While not legally binding, such opinions are often followed by the court.

Hungary, a major net recipient of EU funds, has come under increasing criticism for veering away from democratic norms. The Commission has for more than a decade accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of dismantling democratic institutions, taking control of the media and infringing on minority rights. Orbán, who has been in office since 2010, rejects the accusations and has denounced them as interference in Hungary's sovereignty.

When it suspended funds to Hungary, the Commission was worried about, among other things, public procurement — purchases by the state of goods and services or for the execution of projects using EU money. The bloc has feared that such contracts have allowed Orbán’s government to channel EU funding into the businesses of politically connected insiders.

The case contesting the Commission's release of funds was brought in 2024 by the European Parliament, which argued the Commission had committed errors in determining Hungary was eligible to receive the funding.

In her opinion, Ćapeta wrote that the Commission had “incorrectly applied the requirements imposed on Hungary when it permitted, without any explanation, the disbursement of the budget before the required legislative reforms had entered into force or were being applied.”

Billions in additional EU funding remain frozen to Hungary, a shortfall in its budget that has contributed to years of economic stagnation. Orbán, an advocate of greater authority for national governments among the EU's 27 member states, has accused the bloc of interfering in his country's internal affairs and using the distribution of funds as a means of coercion.

The autocratic leader faces what will likely be the biggest challenge of his 16 years in power during elections in April, where a center-right challenger, Péter Magyar and his Tisza party, hold a substantial lead in most polls.

Magyar has promised to restore Hungary's democratic institutions and pursue a more constructive relationship with the EU, and to quickly bring home the frozen funds.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for the EU summit at Alden Biesen Castle in Bilzen-Hoeselt, Belgium, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (Nicolas Tucat, Pool Photo via AP)