WhatsApp will not roll out the channel feature in Russia, which could lead to the messaging app being blocked in the country. About this on your Telegram channel stated First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Information Policy Committee Anton Gorelkin.
According to the MP, WhatsApp will not open the functionality of public channels to Russian users. Moreover, as Gorelkin notes, there is no official confirmation of this yet – it was written “in a Dutch newspaper”, referring to an anonymous representative of Meta (recognized as an extremist and banned in Russia).
“Please note that the offer contains a vague disclaimer: “The product will not be available for sale in the near future.” In my opinion, this is an overly optimistic position, because in the near future no one will be able to remove the status of an extremist organization from Meta,” Gorelkin concluded.
In mid-September, Meta Corporation announced the launch of WhatsApp channels that will operate similarly to Telegram channels. Shortly after that, Gorelkin authorized the revision of the official position of the Russian Federation regarding the operation of the WhatsApp messaging program in the Russian Federation.
This is because, unlike Meta social networks, its own WhatsApp continues to operate due to the messaging tool being a means of communication and not a platform for publishing banned content.
Moscow Times was the first to report that WhatsApp refuses to use channels in Russia (the website of the Russian version of the publication is blocked in Russia), citing a Meta representative. Previously, Roskomnadzor allowed blocking the messenger due to the possibility of dissemination of prohibited information through channels.
Previously WhatsApp announced About ending support for millions of Android devices.