Russia fully blocks WhatsApp, intensifying it's 'crackdown on free expression'

WhatsApp has been fully blocked in Russia after authorities said the Meta-owned messaging app failed to comply with local laws. The Kremlin is now encouraging users to switch to a state-backed “national messenger”, a move widely seen as tightening control over online communication and free expression. FRANCE 24’s international editor Doug Herbert explains how this fits into a broader crackdown on digital freedoms in the country.