Russian authorities have begun limiting certain types of calls on Telegram and WhatsApp, the state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor announced on Wednesday, according to Interfax.
Officials say the restrictions target criminal activity such as extortion and terrorism, claiming both platforms ignored requests to block such content. Other features of the apps remain available.
The move follows a new law signed by President Vladimir Putin to create a state-backed messaging service linked to government services.
Moscow has been promoting domestic platforms over foreign ones, especially since many Western tech companies withdrew from Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Neither Meta, which owns WhatsApp, nor Telegram has commented on the decision.
