India, Feb. 12 -- Russia has effectively banned WhatsApp as part of a wider effort to tighten control over its digital space. On February 11, WhatsApp said the Russian government had moved to fully block its services in the country to promote a state-backed "super" app called Max, Bloomberg reported.

According to the reports, millions of users were abruptly cut off from WhatsApp. The Meta Platforms-owned app said it is doing everything possible to keep more than 100 million users connected.

A Meta spokesperson told that Russia's move to "fully block" WhatsApp is aimed at pushing users toward domestic platforms and increasing government control online. The spokesperson described Max as a "state-owned surveillance app" and said Meta "cont...