Russia's IT industry regulator said on Friday that WhatsApp should prepare to exit the Russian market, warning that the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms was likely to be included in a restricted software list.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last month signed a law authorizing the development of a state-backed messaging app that would be integrated with government services, as Moscow works to reduce its reliance on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
Anton Gorelkin, deputy chairman of the Information Technology Committee of the lower house of Russia's parliament, said in a statement on Telegram that if 68% of people in Russia use WhatsApp every day, the state-backed app MAX could gain market share.
"It's time for WhatsApp to prepare to exit the Russian market," Gorelkin said, noting that Meta was designated an extremist organization in Russia.
The company's Facebook and Instagram social media platforms have been banned in Russia since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in 2022.
Meta has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Anton Nemkin, a member of the parliamentary IT committee, said WhatsApp's fate in Russia is sealed.
"Providing such services in Russia's digital space is actually a legal violation of national security," Tass news agency quoted Nemkin as saying.
Asked whether WhatsApp would leave Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said all services must comply with Russian law.
Russia has long sought to establish so-called digital sovereignty by promoting local services. With some Western companies withdrawing from the Russian market after 2022, Russia's move to replace foreign technology platforms has become more urgent.
The Kremlin this week unveiled a series of Putin's directives, including ordering additional restrictions on the use in Russia of software, including communications services, developed by so-called "unfriendly countries" that have imposed sanctions on Russia.
The deadline given by Putin is September 1. Referring to Putin's order, Gorelkin said that WhatsApp is likely to be one of the communication services that is restricted.
Gorelkin said he expected Telegram, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, to avoid being banned as long as it complied with Russian law.
According to the latest news from Russia’s state communications regulator Roskomnadzor this week, Telegram has initiated the process of creating a Russian legal entity.