Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned that messaging apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp are “absolutely transparent” to intelligence agencies and security services, urging users to be cautious when sharing sensitive information.
“All messengers are absolutely transparent systems, and people who use them should understand that they are transparent… to the security services,” Peskov said on Friday during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. He stressed that this risk is particularly significant for users sharing sensitive government or commercial data, which could also be accessed by foreign intelligence agencies.
Peskov’s comments come amid ongoing tensions between Russian authorities and major messaging platforms. Russian security services have accused Telegram and WhatsApp of applying double standards by refusing to share user data with Russian authorities on cases involving fraud and terrorism while complying with similar requests from other countries.
Earlier this year, Anton Nemkin, a member of the State Duma’s Committee on Information Policy and Technology, described WhatsApp’s continued presence in Russia as a “legalized breach of national security.” Russian officials have also said that Ukrainian intelligence, alongside other malicious actors such as fraudsters and con artists, often exploit personal data obtained through these apps to recruit agents or identify targets within Russia.
The Kremlin has also highlighted its support for developing domestic messaging platforms as an alternative to foreign services.
Concerns over messaging app security are not limited to Russia. In December 2024, the US government warned senior officials to switch to encrypted communications after hackers accessed sensitive data, including information protected under US government surveillance protocols.
