MOSCOW: Russian lawmakers have declared WhatsApp, the world’s most widely used messaging platform owned by Meta, a threat to national security. The announcement follows recent legislation signed by President Vladimir Putin aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on foreign digital platforms.
Under the new law, Russia will develop a state-supported messaging app named “MAX”, which will be integrated with government services. This initiative is part of Moscow’s broader strategy to limit the use of foreign apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, seen as potentially undermining national interests.
Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Anton Gorelkin, stated, “It is time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market.” He emphasized that Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has already been labeled an extremist organization in Russia, and continued use of its services could compromise national security.
Tsunami alert after powerful quakes strike off coast of Russia
A series of powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Russia’s far east on Sunday, triggering a tsunami alert, the US Geological Survey said.
Earlier 5.0-magnitude and 6.7-magnitude earthquakes did not initially trigger a tsunami alert, but were followed by a
7.4-magnitude quake at 0849 GMT (1:49pm PKT), prompting the USGS to warn that “hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts.”
The USGS said it expected waves of between 30 centimeters and one metre (up to 3.3 feet) on Russian coasts, and less than 30 centimetres (one foot) in Japan and the US state of Hawaii.
The epicentre of the quakes was in the Pacific Ocean, around 150 kilometers east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, it said. The initial earthquakes were followed by several aftershocks, including another 6.7-magnitude quake, said USGS.
