JAKARTA - WhatsApp criticized the restrictions imposed by the Russian government. As a result of these restrictions, thousands of residents complained of slowing down the application on Tuesday, December 23.
This restriction is based on a warning from Roskomnadzor, the Russian Communications Regulatory Agency, some time ago. The institution had previously stated that it would block WhatsApp because the platform was suspected of violating local laws.
Roskomnadzor said WhatsApp was a means of coordinating terrorist acts and fraud. Not only that, WhatsApp was also accused of being a place to recruit criminals and spread harmful content.
"WhatsApp continues to violate Russian law. This messaging app is used to organize ... commit fraud and other crimes against our citizens," Roskomnadzor said, as reported by Reuters, Wednesday, December 24.
This restriction is condemned by WhatsApp. The platform under the Meta umbrella stated that the Russian government was trying to remove encrypted communication security. In fact, this feature is very important to maintain the privacy of user conversations.
"By restricting access to WhatsApp, the Russian government aims to revoke the right to encrypted end-to-end private communications," a WhatsApp spokesperson said.
WhatsApp also touched on the presence of an alternative application called MAX provided by the government for Russian citizens. According to WhatsApp, the government's actions in urging its citizens to switch applications have interfered with security.
"Forcing people to use less secure apps and being required by the government will only lead to less security for the public," the spokesperson added. Seeing this situation, WhatsApp is committed to fighting for the rights of its users.
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