As he lived in a tent and battled to provide for his family, Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters journalist killed by Israeli fire on Monday while running a live video feed at Gaza's Nasser Hospital, covered the suffering of civilians during the conflict. According to journalist colleagues, Masri, 49, was a seasoned cameraman who was well-liked by Gaza's close-knit community of reporters because of his upbeat demeanor in the most perilous circumstances. In the months before his death, he would say, "Tomorrow will be better," despite the fact that the Palestinian enclave was becoming increasingly desolate and hungry. That was the conclusion of his final discussion with Mohamed Salem, a senior Reuters visuals journalist who had collaborated with Masri in Rafah, in southern Gaza, last year and had known him since 2003. Salem, who left Gaza later in 2024 but stayed in daily contact with Masri until Monday morning, said he was a pleasure to work with because of his smiles and o...
WhatsApp claims that Moscow is attempting to prevent millions of Russians from communicating securely.
As Russia supports domestic social media platforms and aims to exert more control over the nation's internet space, WhatsApp accused Moscow of attempting to prevent millions of Russians from using the messaging app for secure communication after calls were blocked.
Russia accused the foreign-owned platforms of not sharing information with law enforcement in cases of fraud and terrorism and on Wednesday announced that it had begun to restrict certain WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms (META.O), new tabs, and Telegram calls.Voice notes and text messaging services are currently unaffected.
Following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a long-simmering conflict with foreign tech companies grew more intense. Russia blocked Meta's Facebook and Instagram, slowed down Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) speed, opened a new tab for YouTube, and fined hundreds of platforms for violating Russian regulations on online content and data storage.
Late on Wednesday, WhatsApp stated that Russia is attempting to block it from more than 100 million Russians because "WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people's right to secure communication." The company also promised to keep trying to keep encrypted services available in Russia.
Late on Wednesday, WhatsApp stated that Russia is attempting to block it from more than 100 million Russians because "WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people's right to secure communication." The company also promised to keep trying to keep encrypted services available in Russia.
According to Telegram, moderators employ AI tools to eliminate millions of malicious messages daily, and the company actively fights against harmful use of its platform, such as calls for violence, sabotage, and fraud.
According to Mediascope data, WhatsApp reached 97.3 million Russians each month in July 2025, while Telegram reached 90.8 million. With 17.9 million users, third-placed VK Messenger, a product of state-controlled tech company VK (VKCO.MM), opens a new tab.
There are over 140 million people living in Russia.
Internet users' complaints about WhatsApp's poor functionality have increased, according to online monitoring services Downdetector and Sboy. Local media also reported a decline in mobile connectivity in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar.
According to Mediascope data, WhatsApp reached 97.3 million Russians each month in July 2025, while Telegram reached 90.8 million. With 17.9 million users, third-placed VK Messenger, a product of state-controlled tech company VK (VKCO.MM), opens a new tab.
There are over 140 million people living in Russia.
Internet users' complaints about WhatsApp's poor functionality have increased, according to online monitoring services Downdetector and Sboy. Local media also reported a decline in mobile connectivity in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar.
On Thursday, a public Telegram group of taxi drivers in Krasnodar received a ton of complaints regarding poor mobile connectivity, with many of them unable to use online maps for navigation.
A driver named Sergei asked the 3,700 other members of the forum, "What should I do? There's no map."
"Download offline maps," another driver named Alexei recommended. "For the future."
A driver named Sergei asked the 3,700 other members of the forum, "What should I do? There's no map."
"Download offline maps," another driver named Alexei recommended. "For the future."
Consistent Degradation
As the government aggressively promotes a new state-controlled messaging app, MAX, which will be integrated with government services and which critics fear could track its users' activities, Russia has banned WhatsApp and Telegram users from making phone calls.
Senior politicians are encouraging their supporters to join them as they migrate to MAX.
Leading parliamentary regulator of Russia's IT industry, Anton Gorelkin, announced that he would post to his MAX followers first, with many other lawmakers expected to follow suit shortly.
According to Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Internet Protection Society, a Russian digital rights organization, "In the end, they want to control users and the information they receive."
However, Klimarev told Reuters that a gradual adoption is better because MAX might not be able to handle a large influx. Additionally, there is the social factor.
Klimarev told Reuters, "Changes are never welcome." "People dislike having to register somewhere (new)."
According to Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Internet Protection Society, a Russian digital rights organization, "In the end, they want to control users and the information they receive."
However, Klimarev told Reuters that a gradual adoption is better because MAX might not be able to handle a large influx. Additionally, there is the social factor.
Klimarev told Reuters, "Changes are never welcome." "People dislike having to register somewhere (new)."
Although WhatsApp's other services are still accessible for the time being, Russia has previously used the strategy of gradually deteriorating a service, most notably with YouTube, where slower download speeds have made it more difficult for users to access content.
Russia has been "meticulously expanding [its] legal and technological tools to carve out Russia's section of the internet into a tightly controlled and isolated forum," according to a report released by Human Rights Watch last month.
A new law that tightens censorship and could have far-reaching effects on digital privacy has been approved by lawmakers. Russians who search online for content Moscow deems "extremist" risk fines, even if they do so through virtual private networks, which millions of people use to get around internet blocks.
Russia has been "meticulously expanding [its] legal and technological tools to carve out Russia's section of the internet into a tightly controlled and isolated forum," according to a report released by Human Rights Watch last month.
A new law that tightens censorship and could have far-reaching effects on digital privacy has been approved by lawmakers. Russians who search online for content Moscow deems "extremist" risk fines, even if they do so through virtual private networks, which millions of people use to get around internet blocks.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES