WhatsApp remains the most popular messaging service in Russia, but it must comply with the country’s laws, said Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.
According to Report, citing Interfax, Peskov made the statement in response to journalists' questions on Friday regarding the Kremlin’s view on the potential withdrawal of WhatsApp from the Russian market.
"WhatsApp is generally the most popular service in many countries, including the Russian Federation. In terms of popularity, it’s number one. But like all services, it has certain obligations under Russian law. All laws must be observed," Peskov stated.
Earlier, Anton Gorelkin, First Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, said that WhatsApp is very likely to be added to the list of platforms subject to restrictions. In his Telegram channel, Gorelkin wrote that the messenger should “start preparing to exit the Russian market.”