WhatsApp Outage in Russia: A Deep Dive into L7 Filtering and RKN’s Role#
November 28, 2025, marked a challenging day for many WhatsApp users across Russia, as widespread reports of service disruptions emerged. While instant messaging and media transfers remained functional, attempts to initiate voice or video calls were met with an endless “Connecting” status, followed by dropped calls. This pattern, eerily familiar from previous incidents involving platforms like Discord, points to a sophisticated form of network interference.
- Widespread Outage: On November 28, 2025, users across Russia reported identical issues with WhatsApp, specifically concerning voice and video calls.
- Specific Symptoms: Text messages and media files were sent and received instantly, but voice and video calls would fail, getting stuck on a “Connecting” status before dropping.
- Operator Denials: Major telecom operators, including MegaFon and Beeline, confirmed their networks were operating normally. Technically, they were not incorrect, as general connectivity and access to Meta’s IP addresses largely remained.
- Root Cause: L7 Filtering: The problem is identified as lying deeper than basic network connectivity, specifically at the Layer 7 (Application Layer) filtering level, orchestrated by the Technical Means for Counteracting Threats (TSPU).
- Echoes of Past Blocks: The symptoms are strikingly similar to prior incidents, notably the blockages experienced by Discord, indicating a recurring pattern of targeted service disruption.
- Implied Regulatory Action: While not explicitly stated in the fragment, the context of TSPU and L7 filtering strongly implies actions taken by Russia’s internet watchdog, Roskomnadzor (RKN), to control or restrict communication platforms. This latest disruption underscores Russia’s evolving and increasingly sophisticated approach to internet control, a strategy that has been a hallmark of its digital policy since the “Sovereign Internet Law” came into effect. The use of TSPU and L7 filtering represents a significant leap from simpler IP blocking, moving towards deep packet inspection that can selectively disrupt specific application functionalities while leaving others intact. This not only impacts user communication and access to information but also creates a challenging operational environment for global tech companies like Meta, forcing them to grapple with complex regulatory landscapes and the potential for partial service degradations. The economic and social implications are profound, affecting everything from daily communication to business operations reliant on these platforms, further isolating Russian internet users from the global digital sphere. Looking ahead, such incidents are likely to become more frequent and sophisticated as governments globally, and particularly in Russia, continue to exert greater control over online communications. This creates an ongoing digital “arms race” between state-sponsored censorship technologies and the development of circumvention tools by users and developers. For tech companies, adapting to these fragmented internet environments will be a critical challenge, potentially leading to region-specific service modifications or, in extreme cases, complete withdrawals. The long-term forecast points to a more balkanized internet, where geopolitical tensions directly translate into technical barriers, fundamentally altering how information flows and how individuals connect across borders.