Russia unveils ‘Altai’ neuromorphic chip to challenge US in low-power AI and defence applications
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A group of 42 Russian cellphone users filed an administrative lawsuit against the telecoms regulator and the Digital Development Ministry, challenging restrictions on calls in Telegram and WhatsApp messengers, RBC reported on December 24.
The lawsuit was filed on December 23 at Moscow's Tagansky District Court, with plaintiffs requesting that actions by Roskomnadzor and the Digital Development Ministry to partially restrict calls be declared illegal and unfounded.
Plaintiffs stated that according to Central Bank of Russia data, mobile calls and SMS remain the main channels of telephone fraud rather than messengers.
They argue that combating fraud is possible through alternative methods not affecting law-abiding users' rights, including optional blocking of messenger internet traffic at clients' request.
The lawsuit states that the introduced restrictions violate freedom to receive and transmit information, communication secrecy and private life, alongside the principle of inadmissibility of arbitrary limitation of citizens' rights and freedoms.
Roskomnadzor, the regulator, announced measures to restrict voice calls in foreign messengers in August 2025, citing the need to combat fraud and WhatsApp's failure to comply with Russian legislation.
The agency claimed these services became primary tools for deceiving citizens, extorting funds and involving people in illegal activities.
Sergei Novikov, head of the presidential administration's public projects department, stated on December 23 that blocking voice calls in foreign messengers since August has helped reduce cyber fraud statistics.
As a replacement, Russia is promoting "MAX", a state-backed "super-app" developed by government-aligned VK (Russia's largest social media firm), as the primary alternative to WhatsApp and Dubai-based Telegram, whose founder also created the VK platform more than a decade ago.
WhatsApp use in Russia has declined by 27% in 2025, analytics firm Digital Budget told RBC on December 15.
The average session duration on the messenger reached 118 seconds. During the comparable week in 2024, this figure stood at 148 seconds, representing a 21% year-on-year decline.
At the same time, average daily app openings decreased from nearly 13 times to less than 12 times.
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