On September 13, reports emerged that WhatsApp was testing a channel creation function. The feature would be available to users in more than 150 countries. In this context, Anton Gorelkin, deputy chair of the State Duma Information Policy Committee, suggested that a Telegram channel could influence Russia’s stance on how the WhatsApp app operates within the country. He noted that if the product from theMeta company grows to enable broad information distribution, the official position toward its activity in the Russian Federation could be revisited — a point he emphasized in public discussion [Citation: policy commentary on platform behavior in Russia].
Earlier statements from Maksut Shadayev, head of Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, indicated that the topic of blocking the WhatsApp service in Russia had not been raised during discussions at major economic forums. On June 20, the minister reiterated that Russia does not plan to curb messenger services, stressing there are no plans to limit instant messaging programs used for personal communication [Citation: official remarks on messaging services in Russia].
new feature
WhatsApp developers described the new messaging channel service as highly privacy conscious. Subscribed channels remain hidden from other subscribers, and the company has taken steps to protect the personal information of both channel managers and followers [Citation: privacy protections for channel-based messaging].
A country-aware automatic filter has been added to the channel catalog, helping to surface content that aligns with a user’s location. The catalog also includes filters for the most active and popular channels with large audiences. In channels, users can react with emojis and see aggregate reaction counts. Channel administrators will have the ability to edit their posts for a period of up to 30 days. Messages from channels can be forwarded into chats or groups [Citation: feature details for channel interactions].
Banning meta social networks
In March 2022, a Moscow court declared Meta Platforms as an extremist organization and ordered its activities to cease in Russia. At that time, WhatsApp, owned by Meta, was regarded by authorities as a communication tool rather than a dissemination channel, which kept it accessible in the Russian Federation, unlike Facebook and Instagram, which faced blockages [Citation: court ruling context for Meta in Russia].
The restrictions stemmed from Meta’s decision to permit content that called for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers during Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. The resulting protests prompted official actions, and on March 12, 2022, Meta announced a limited moderation stance specifically for Ukrainian language posts. Following these events, Instagram was fully blocked in Russia as of March 14, 2022 [Citation: timeline of platform actions in Russia].