Russia bans WhatsApp

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report – Russia bans WhatsApp

Date: February 12, 2026
Host: Nick Qureshi (BBC World Service)
Key Contributor: Nick Marsh
Episode Overview:
This episode centers on Russia’s high-impact ban of WhatsApp, examining motivations behind the move, its consequences for millions of users, and the broader context of digital control and encryption in Russia. Additional segments include shifts in global commodities, China’s emissions milestone, and the rise of “coolcations” driven by climate change.

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Main Story: Russia Blocks WhatsApp

[00:58–03:01]

Key Points & Insights

• Kremlin Blocks WhatsApp: The Russian government has officially banned WhatsApp, immediately severing access for more than 100 million Russian users.

  • “The Kremlin has confirmed…Russia has ordered a block on WhatsApp. The app…has more than 100 million users in Russia who have now been cut off from the platform.” – Nick Qureshi [00:58]

• Background: Meta & Russian Sanctions:

  • In 2022, Meta was listed as a “terrorist organization” in Russia due to its permissive stance towards anti-Russian content tied to the Ukraine war.
  • Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, were already blocked; WhatsApp had remained accessible until now.
  • “Back in 2022, Meta was listed as a terrorist organization in Russia. It has a lot to do with the war in Ukraine…the fact Meta was allowing anti Russian posts on its platforms.” – Nick Marsh [01:22]
  • Now, WhatsApp has been removed from the Russian internet regulators’ directory—effectively, an overnight blackout.

• Russia’s Motivation: Domestic Control & Surveillance

  • Authorities are steering citizens toward “Max,” a Russian-made app weighed down by government controls.
    • “The authorities in Russia…have been quite actively trying to push people away from messaging apps like WhatsApp and onto this rival app, which is called Max. It’s domestic…it’s modeled on WeChat in China.” – Nick Marsh [02:06]
  • Max integrates payments, government services, and more, but critically, it isn’t end-to-end encrypted, unlike WhatsApp.
    • “WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted…You can’t access what people are saying. Max…the domestic app, it’s not end-to-end encrypted.” – Nick Marsh [02:18]
  • The official rationale is “refusal to hand over user data,” but privacy advocates and users see the lack of encryption as the true driver.

• Implications:

  • Tens of millions abruptly lose secure digital communication, unless significant workarounds (i.e., VPNs, alternative apps) are employed.
    • “Now…tens of millions of people won’t be able to use WhatsApp, at least not without some quite considerable workarounds in Russia.” – Nick Marsh [02:41]

Memorable Quote

• “WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted…that’s exactly why people use [it].” – Nick Marsh [02:18]

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Global Economic Quick Hits

[03:01–03:39]

• Sugar Demand Down: Sugar prices plunge to five-year lows, partly due to increased use of weight loss drugs.
  • “Sugar prices have tumbled to their lowest level in more than five years, with analysts saying weight loss drugs have accelerated a drop in demand.” – Nick Qureshi [03:01]
• Consumer Goods Impact: Ice cream brand Magnum sees a 3% drop in Q4 sales volume.
• UK Economic Growth: UK GDP grew 1.3% in 2025.
• China Emissions Milestone: For the first time, China’s carbon emissions declined year-over-year (-0.3% in 2025).
  • “Emissions from the world’s manufacturing hub…have now been flat or falling for almost two years.” – Justin Rowlatt [03:39]

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Feature: European “Coolcations” and Climate Travel

[04:08–07:40]

Key Points & Insights

• Tourism Rethinks ‘Hot’ Destinations:

  • 81% of Europeans now say weather and climate strongly influence their holiday choices.
  • “Research suggests some tourists are looking to stay away from the heat.” – Nick Qureshi [04:08]

• Norwegian Pilgrimage Boom:

  • Norway is seeing a surge in hikers on its historic pilgrimage paths, partly as a climate refuge.
  • “On a mountain track some 200 miles north of Oslo…a hidden sensor…counts the number of hikers…” – Bob Walker [04:48]
  • “In 2013, I counted 300. Last year I counted around 900.” – Joar Fjellstad, Pilgrim Society [05:26]

• Tourist Voices:

  • Many hikers prefer cold and rainy Norway over southern Europe’s soaring summer temperatures:
    • F: “To walk a pilgrimage trail in Europe in the summer…Italy or Spain is too hot. Are you noticing that?”
    • G: “I have noticed that almost every year since I started this in 2013.” [05:47]
  • Some relish the cold, even if it means trekking through storms:
    • Stefan Gickelhorn: “We want to hike. We are used to cold weather. We prefer that…” [06:27]
    • “The idea of doing something in southern Spain or Italy in 30, 35 degrees…no, it’s not that attractive for us.” [06:34]

• Broader Trends:

  • Norwegian authorities see both the falling currency and climate as fueling the tourism uptick.
  • “Norway nowadays can give a climate that's doable for many people in these hot summers that we can see in southern Europe.” – Mathias Janssen, National Pilgrim Centre [07:15]

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [00:58] – Main segment opens: Russia bans WhatsApp
• [01:22] – Discussion on Meta’s status as “terrorist organization” and implications
• [02:06] – Motivation behind Russian ban; move to domestic “Max” app
• [03:01] – Sugar, UK economy, China emissions milestone
• [04:08] – Segment on climate-driven tourism (“coolcations”)
• [05:26] – Hiking & tourism statistics in Norway
• [07:15] – Local perspective: climate’s impact on Norway’s tourism boom

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Summary in Original Tone & Style

This edition of Marketplace Morning Report provides a brisk, clear-eyed breakdown of global events: Russia’s WhatsApp ban is poised to disrupt daily life for tens of millions, highlighting the regime’s preference for surveillance over privacy. Meanwhile, shifting consumer habits—from eating less sugar to seeking cooler travel destinations—underscore just how much the modern world responds to climate, health, and security.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Russia blocks WhatsApp live from the UK this is the Marketplace Morning Report from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Nick Qureshi. The Kremlin has confirmed to the BBC that Russia has ordered a block on WhatsApp. The app, which is owned by Meta, has more than 100 million users in Russia who have now been cut off from the platform. The BBC's Nick Marsh has been following this for us. Hi, Nick.

[A]

Hello.

[B]

So what do we know?

[C]

Well, back in 2022, Meta was listed as a terrorist organization in Russia. It's been that way ever since. It has a lot to do with the war in Ukraine, the fact that Meta was allowing anti Russian posts on its platforms and there was a disagreement there. So ever since then, Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, have effectively been blocked in Russia. WhatsApp wasn't though. Now it appears that it has been removed from Russia's Internet regulators directory. So that means you've got tens of millions of people. WhatsApp says a hundred million people effectively cut off from the system overnight.

[B]

So what's Russia's motivation?

[C]

Well, the authorities in Russia for quite some time now have been quite actively trying to push people away from messaging apps like WhatsApp and onto this rival app, which is called Max, it's domestic app. It's modeled on WeChat in China. So you can do lots of different things on it. You can pay for services, it's got government portals embedded in it. But this is the important bit. WhatsApp is end to end, encrypted. Lots of messaging apps are. It means you can't access what people are saying Macs, the domestic app, it's not end to end encrypted. The argument that the Russian authorities give is that these companies, they refuse to hand over the data of users, but the platforms say, well, that's exactly why people use. And now as things stand, it appears that tens of millions of people won't be able to use WhatsApp, at least not without some quite considerable workarounds in Russia.

[B]

Nick Marsh, thanks for joining us on Marketplace Pleasure. Right, let's do some numbers. Sugar prices have tumbled to their lowest level in more than five years with analysts saying weight loss drugs have accelerated a drop in demand. Ice cream maker Magnum also reported a 3% dip in in fourth quarter sales volumes, while official figures show the UK economy grew by 1.3% in 2025. New data shows that China's carbon dioxide emissions fell by 0.3% in 2025, the first full year to show a decline. Here's the BBC's Justin Rolat.

[D]

This is not a dramatic breakthrough, but it means emissions from the world's manufacturing hub and second largest economy have now been flat or falling for almost two years. Carbon briefs figures show a finely balanced picture. Emissions dropped across major sectors including transport, power, cement and metals, but rose in the chemical industry. China also added more coal and gas fired power capacity last year than in any year for a decade.

[B]

That was just in rollout. Now in February, your thoughts might be turning to summer sunshine, but research suggests some tourists are looking to stay away from the heat. The European Travel Commission says climate consciousness is increasingly influencing travel decisions, with 81% of Europeans saying changing weather affects their choice of destination. The BBC's Bob Walker has been to Norway to look at the impact of these so called coolcations.

[E]

Okay, so now we're walking on the ridge in Rennebu. This is a ridge created by the ice age with the glaciers. And on this ridge we have the old Kingsroad. We also have the pilgrim path between Oslo and Trondheim.

[F]

On a mountain track some 200 miles north of Oslo. Guide Mathias Janssen shows me a hidden sensor which counts the number of hikers using this path.

[E]

It's very important to monitor the amount of pilgrims and users of the pilgrim path, both to have statistics for the development of the path itself, but also for nature management.

[F]

We're walking along the Goodbrandsdales Leyden, one of the nine pilgrim paths across Norway and Sweden which lead to Trondheim, the resting place of Olof Haraldsson, a Viking who became the patron saint of Norway.

[G]

My name is Joar Fjellstad I'm the chairman of the Pilgrim Society. I have tried to count all pilgrims walking or cycling through the Valley since 2013. In that year I counted 300. Last year I counted around 900.

[F]

One of the things that I've heard is that more people want to walk this. Because to walk a pilgrimage trail in the summer in Europe, Italy or Spain in the summer is too hot. Are you noticing that?

[G]

I have noticed that almost every year since I started this in 2013.

[F]

They want to get away from those temperatures in the summer.

[G]

Yes, away from the high temperatures.

[F]

In the interests of balance, I should point out that as appealing as Caucasians may sound, they do have their downsides. Right now I'm taking cover in a tin shack during a rather cold rainstorm.

[H]

My name is Stefan Gickelhorn. I'm from Germany. We want to hike. We are used to cold weather. We prefer that.

[F]

But the idea of doing something in southern Spain or Italy in 30, 35 degrees.

[H]

No, no, it's not. Not that attractive for us.

[A]

Yes.

[F]

So even though it's cold, it's. This is better.

[H]

Yeah, we prefer that.

[E]

Yeah.

[H]

Honestly, to be honest, maybe in April Spain would be more beautiful.

[F]

Norway is already witnessing a demonstrable increase in tourism. There's no doubt that the falling Norwegian currency is certainly playing its part. But Matthias Janssen, a senior advisor at the National Pilgrim Centre in Trondheim, says so is climate change.

[E]

We used to say that we have approximately 20% increase every year in the amount of pilgrims. We think that in the coming years that number will even be boasted because of the increasing interest of Norway in general, better exchange rates, but also that Norway nowadays can give a climate that's doable for many people in these hot summers that we can see in southern Europe.

[B]

Matthias Janssen ending that report from Bob Walker in the uk. I'm Nick Qureshi with the Marketplace morning report from the BBC World Service. Thanks for listening.

[I]

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