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Russia confirms ban on WhatsApp, says it failed to abide by law

Russia has blocked the popular messaging service WhatsApp over its failure to comply with local legislation. [iStockphoto]

Russia has blocked the popular messaging service WhatsApp over its failure to comply with local legislation, the Kremlin said Thursday, urging its 100 million Russian users to switch to a domestic alternative.

Moscow has for months been trying to shift Russian users onto Max, a domestic messaging service that lacks end-to-end encryption and that activists have called a potential tool for surveillance.

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