Russia Cracks Down on WhatsApp and Telegram as Kremlin Pushes Its Own ‘Super-App’
Marina, a 45-year-old freelance copywriter from Tula, thought WhatsApp was a lifeline for both her work and personal life. But last month, a call to a colleague wouldn’t go through. She switched to Telegram, Russia’s second most popular messaging app. That failed too. She wasn’t alone. Millions of Russians suddenly faced restrictions in mid-August after…