Kremlin states chatting apps are accessible to spies

(MENAFN) The Kremlin has warned that messaging applications are “absolutely transparent” to intelligence and security services, cautioning users about the risks of sharing sensitive information.

“All messengers are absolutely transparent systems, and people who use them should understand that they are transparent… to the security services,” a spokesperson stated on Friday at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

He emphasized that the risks are particularly significant when government or commercial data is shared via these apps, which could be accessed by foreign intelligence agencies. The comments referenced apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp, alongside support for developing a domestic Russian messaging platform.

Russian security officials have criticized Telegram and WhatsApp for applying double standards—refusing to provide Russian authorities with data related to fraud and terrorist activities while complying with similar requests from other countries. In July, a member of the national information policy committee described WhatsApp’s continued operations in Russia as a “legalized breach of national security.”

Law enforcement agencies have also claimed that Ukrainian intelligence and other malicious actors, including scammers, frequently use personal data obtained from WhatsApp and Telegram to recruit agents or identify targets within Russia.

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