Russia to Block WhatsApp, Shift 100 Million Users to Domestic App

• Russia plans to block WhatsApp and move 100 million users to a domestic, secure messaging platform amid rising tensions with the US.
• The government believes providing private and secure technical platforms to its citizens is a necessity.
• The Caspian Post reported that many international online platforms, including WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, are already inaccessible in Russia.
• Russian users are encountering 'domain not found' errors as these platforms' domains have been removed from the national Domain Name System (DNS).
• Access to BBC, Deutsche Welle, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Tor browser, and Instagram has also been blocked under Russia's 'Sovereign Internet' law.