Roskomnadzor has restricted calls to Telegram and WhatsApp. What does it mean

Roskomnadzor announced the restriction of voice calls in foreign messengers Telegram and WhatsApp. The reason was the active use of them by scammers and the owners' disregard for the requirements of Russian legislation. When the restrictions will be lifted from calls and what alternatives are available now — in the Izvestia article.

Why are calls limited?

• Roskomnadzor has decided to restrict voice and video calls in foreign messengers such as Telegram and WhatsApp (owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation). Other messenger functions remain available.

• The decision is justified by the fight against fraud. Recently, messenger calls have been used to defraud and extort money, as well as to engage in sabotage and terrorist activities. Roskomnadzor noted that they had sent demands to take measures to counter fraudsters, but they were ignored by the owners of messengers.

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• The Ministry of Finance said that access to voice calls will be restored when foreign platforms comply with legal requirements and join the fight against illegal actions. They are required to provide information at the request of law enforcement agencies if there are suspicions of mass fraud and planning terrorist attacks in Russia. The ministry stressed that when such information is requested by foreign intelligence agencies, messengers cooperate with them, but in the case of the Russian Federation they refuse.

• The agency also noted that the Antifraud system, which was launched in 2024, blocks up to 90% of fraudulent calls on traditional telephone networks. However, because of this, violators began to use voice calls in messengers, and operators cannot block these calls. For this reason, it was decided to limit such calls.

What are the alternatives?

• The Ministry of Finance said that Russian users still have access to domestic analogues of foreign services that have a secure infrastructure and prevent fraudulent activities. One of these messengers is MAX, developed in 2025 by Communications Platform LLC, a subsidiary of VK.

• The MAX messenger allows you to exchange messages, create personal and group chats, send voice messages, make audio and video calls, and send files up to 4 GB in size. In addition, he is able to generate texts and images, create chatbots and acts as a money transfer operator.

• In the future, the MAX messenger will be integrated with the Gosuslugi portal, as well as the VK Video and Music services. This will expand its functionality, allowing, in addition to sending messages and making calls, to also work with documents, pay fees and confirm identity without presenting a passport.

• Other messengers with a call function also continue to operate in Russia. For example, having end-to-end Signal encryption. The owner of the messenger does not receive user data and cannot dispose of it. However, you cannot make group calls there.

• Google Meet video conferencing service provides personal and group calls, working through Gmail and Google Workspace platforms. This messenger also provides the ability to record meetings and text chat during a call.

• During the coronavirus pandemic, the Zoom service gained popularity. In addition to personal and group calls, it allows you to collaborate on documents, record conferences, and use virtual backgrounds and effects.