• Russia moved to restrict WhatsApp calls on Wednesday, citing the platform’s refusal to cooperate with authorities on fraud and terrorism cases
• Several countries across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa have placed full or partial bans on WhatsApp at different points in time
• The US House of Representatives also banned WhatsApp from all official devices earlier this year

Russia has become one of the latest countries to place restrictions on WhatsApp calls, accusing Meta, the company that owns the messaging platform, of refusing to share data related to fraud and terrorism investigations.

The move puts Russia alongside a growing number of countries that have either fully blocked WhatsApp or limited specific features of the app.

Countries with full WhatsApp bans

1. China has blocked WhatsApp since 2017 through its so-called Great Firewall, a system used to cut off access to overseas internet services. Most Chinese users rely on a domestic alternative called WeChat instead.
2. North Korea has also blocked WhatsApp, along with Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, since 2016. The country operates one of the most tightly controlled internet systems in the world, leaving citizens with virtually no access to foreign platforms.

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Countries with partial or intermittent restrictions

1. Russia’s new restrictions, which took effect on Wednesday, follow years of clashes with foreign technology companies over content moderation and data storage requirements.
2. The United Arab Emirates banned most Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, which allow free internet-based voice and video calls, from 2017. WhatsApp text messaging remained available, though authorities briefly allowed calls in 2020 during the Expo Dubai world fair.
3. Qatar has similarly restricted VoIP calls without issuing a formal ban, meaning WhatsApp messaging still functions for users in the country. Egypt and Jordan have also placed restrictions on VoIP calls without moving to outright bans.

Among countries with intermittent records, Iran lifted a ban on WhatsApp last year as part of a broader move to ease internet restrictions. Turkey has blocked WhatsApp in the past over domestic disputes but currently has no active ban in place.

Uganda banned WhatsApp and several other social media platforms in 2021 following a dispute between Facebook and pro-government accounts, but the restriction has since been lifted. Cuba also temporarily cut access to WhatsApp and other platforms in 2021.

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In the United States, WhatsApp has been banned from all House of Representatives devices. A memo sent to all House staff in June confirmed the restriction, though no reason was publicly given for the decision.

WhatsApp to stop working on older iPhones

Legit.ng earlier reported that WhatsApp has announced a major update that will affect millions of Apple users worldwide, including people using older iPhones, iPads, iMacs, and MacBooks.

The Meta-owned messaging platform confirmed that beginning November 30, 2026, WhatsApp will only support devices running iOS 15.5 or newer. The change will also apply to WhatsApp Business users. The decision means users operating older versions of Apple’s software may lose access to the messaging app unless they update their devices before the deadline.

Source: Legit.ng