Russian authorities have escalated restrictions on WhatsApp, sharply reducing the platform’s speed by as much as 80% in recent days, in what digital rights advocates describe as an effective precursor to a full ban.

The clampdown comes amid President Vladimir Putin’s renewed declarations of achieving “internet sovereignty,” a term widely interpreted as the Kremlin’s ambition to assert full state control over online information flows.

According to Mikhail Klimarev, executive director of the Internet Protection Society, “As of December 23, WhatsApp has slowed by 70% since that day.” He first reported the figures on the morning of December 22, with confirmation from sources within Russia’s telecom industry cited by RBC, who noted a 70–80% drop in performance.

Roskomnadzor, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, has not officially announced a complete block, but has warned that full restrictions are imminent. “Roskomnadzor began taking the first restrictive measures against WhatsApp in late November,” Klimarev said, adding that the agency escalated the slowdown dramatically on December 22.

The targeting of WhatsApp—a service owned by Meta Platforms, already declared an “extremist organisation” in Russia and formerly the most popular messaging service in Russia —marks a significant shift of gears. While Meta's Instagram and Facebook were banned in March 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, WhatsApp had previously remained accessible.

In his annual Direct Line press conference earlier this month, Putin claimed that Russia had achieved full “internet sovereignty,” stating: “There are only three countries in the world that have achieved this, and Russia is one of them.” The Kremlin has not formally clarified which other nations Putin was referring to, though China and Iran are widely considered to operate comparable systems of government-controlled internet infrastructure.

Putin’s use of the phrase signals more than technical capability; it reflects a long-standing policy goal to fence Russia off from the global internet and reroute traffic through domestic infrastructure that started with the passing of the Yarovaya law. Since 2019, Russia has passed laws requiring local data storage, mandating cooperation from internet service providers, and enabling state agencies to isolate the Russian internet—RuNet—from the global network.

Experts say WhatsApp’s throttling may be an early test of the state’s ability to technically restrict encrypted communication tools without provoking widespread backlash. Unlike Facebook or Instagram, WhatsApp remains popular among Russians for private messaging and business communication.

The Internet Protection Society believes that the disruption was achieved using deep packet inspection (DPI) technology, the same method used to block VPNs and censor websites. Such tools enable authorities to monitor and selectively filter internet traffic in real time, even on encrypted platforms.

Digital rights advocates warn that the move signals an intensification of Russia’s repressive internet policy. “A full ban on WhatsApp would mark another major step in the Kremlin’s campaign to reshape the digital environment into one that is tightly surveilled and state-controlled,” Klimarev said.

Despite Kremlin assurances that alternative domestic platforms such as VK Messenger and Telegram offer sufficient functionality, experts question their independence. Telegram, while technically outside the Kremlin’s formal control, has faced accusations of collaboration with authorities, including selective content takedowns.

For now, Russian users are reporting widespread difficulties accessing WhatsApp, particularly via mobile networks. The Russian digital rights group Roskomsvoboda said that reports of disruptions had spiked in multiple regions, while VPN usage also surged in response.

“Internet sovereignty,” Klimarev concluded, “is not about security or independence—it’s about control. And that control is being tested now in real time.”