MOSCOW, September 14. /TASS/. The WhatsApp messenger may be blocked in Russia if unfriendly channels with prohibited information appear on it, the national media watchdog told TASS.

WhatsApp is owned by Meta (recognized as extremist in Russia, also owns the social networks Facebook and Instagram banned in Russia)

"The application of measures for non-compliance with the laws of the Russian Federation directly depends on the management of such companies and the decisions they make. The appearance of unfriendly channels with prohibited information will require its immediate removal and, should they refuse, blocking," the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) said in a statement.

Earlier, the head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Alexander Khinshtein, wrote on his Telegram channel that if WhatsApp launches Russian-language information channels, it would be prudent to take a closer look at the messenger’s status, up to and including blocking it.

The watchdog recalled that Russia’s laws apply to all companies, including instant messengers and social networks, that operate in Russia and target Russian users.

"We strongly recommend that Russian entities and users switch to domestic services that operate in Russian jurisdiction and comply with Russian legislation," Roskomnadzor added.

Earlier, WhatsApp announced on its blog that it would launch a channel creation feature in 150 countries. It is assumed that users of the app will be able to confidentially receive updates about what interests them. WhatsApp developers also said that as part of the update, users will be able to react to channel posts.