September 13 WhatsApp messaging reported About starting the channel creation function. Users in more than 150 countries will be able to use this option. Against this background, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Information Policy Committee Anton Gorelkin said: telegram channel about a possible revision of the position regarding the operation of the application in Russia.
“If the product of the extremist company Meta (recognized as extremist and banned in Russia – socialbites.ca) begins to expand its functionality for mass dissemination of information, the official attitude towards its activities on the territory of the Russian Federation may be revised,” Gorelkin said.
On June 16, the head of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation, Maksut Shadayev, in St. He said that the issue of blocking the WhatsApp messaging application in Russia was not discussed on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. On June 20, the minister said again that Russia does not plan to limit the activities of messengers.
“There are no plans to limit instant messaging programs for personal communication,” the minister said.
new feature
According to WhatsApp developers, the new messaging service has a high level of privacy. Channels that the user subscribes to are not visible to their subscribers. Additionally, company employees protected the personal information of both managers and followers.
An automatic filter has been installed in the channel catalog, taking into account the user’s country. There are also filters for the most active and popular channels with the most subscribers. In channels, users will be able to send emojis and see the total number of reactions. Administrators will be allowed to edit their posts for 30 days. Messages from channels can be forwarded to chats or groups.
Banning meta social networks
21 March 2022 Moscow Tverskoy Court made a decision About the recognition of the Meta company as an extremist organization and the ban on its work in Russia. At the same time, the WhatsApp messenger owned by the company was considered by the authorities as a means of communication, and not a means of disseminating information, so it is not blocked in the Russian Federation, unlike other Meta products – Facebook and Instagram.
The reason for the strict restrictions was the company’s decision to allow social media users to “call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers” as part of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. The innovations caused a public outcry, and on March 12, 2022, the company announced that the audit would be weakened only for posts written by Ukrainians.
After what happened, Instagram was completely blocked in Russia as of March 14, 2022.