The move puts Russia alongside a growing number of countries that have either fully blocked WhatsApp or limited specific features of the app. Russia restricts WhatsApp calls as Meta faces accusations of refusing to share fraud and terrorism data. North Korea has also blocked WhatsApp, along with Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, since 2016. Qatar has similarly restricted VoIP calls without issuing a formal ban, meaning WhatsApp messaging still functions for users in the country. Turkey has blocked WhatsApp in the past over domestic disputes but currently has no active ban in place.