Russia Restricts Encrypted Calls on WhatsApp and Telegram

The Russian government has commenced blocking calls made via WhatsApp and Telegram, citing that the encryption used by these platforms to safeguard user communications contradicts the country's information-sharing mandates for tech companies. Both messaging services boast approximately 100 million users within Russia, according to recent reports.

The Kremlin's actions align with its ongoing expansion of internet censorship and control under the pretext of national security and law enforcement, a policy it's been pushing for years. A WhatsApp spokesperson expressed the platform's commitment to maintaining end-to-end encryption and countering governmental encroachments on private communications. Meanwhile, Telegram has informed Russian media that it employs AI tools to oversee public discussions and non-encrypted chats on its platform, striving to mitigate criminal activity by removing millions of harmful messages daily.

In other global security updates, Norwegian intelligence has blamed Russian hackers for a cyberattack on a Norwegian dam that resulted in an unauthorized release of water. This accusation has been firmly denied by the Russian embassy.

The US ICE agency faced an embarrassing breach when agents mistakenly added an unsuspecting civilian to a group chat intended for law enforcement only. The group chat contained sensitive information, including details of a manhunt.

Elsewhere, English police forces are set to enhance their surveillance capabilities with the deployment of new facial recognition vans to assist in tracking down serious offenders.

In related security developments, researchers continue to reveal vulnerabilities in widely-used encryption mechanisms, underscoring the persistent challenges in protecting sensitive data from sophisticated cyber threats.