Considering the current situation, predictions about the imminent blocking of the WhatsApp messaging application (the owner of the company Meta is considered extremist in Russia and is banned) may very well come true. Russians should prepare for this in advance so as not to lose data, including the transfer of correspondence, information security director of Element Group of Companies and cybersecurity expert Alexander Dvoryansky told 360.ru.
The expert recalled that similar conversations had taken place on the video hosting website YouTube before and were quickly blocked soon after. Experts believe that this situation will most likely repeat with WhatsApp.
He also commented on reports that messaging app owners can eavesdrop on users' conversations – according to the analyst, this is technically possible, but it is unlikely that anyone would do this. He said in this case, the messenger could be dangerous due to other factors.
“The main risk of WhatsApp* is the leakage of personal data, such as passport photos, SNILS and others. In essence, the person signs that this information will be made public,” Dvoryansky emphasized.
He also reiterated that WhatsApp stores user data outside of Russia, so if a leak occurs, the information will be lost. It is better to use similar Russian messaging applications, including the Max application.
“It has everything you need and is complete. This is a kind of combination of WhatsApp and Telegram, just in a new shell. This is a completely normal application, it works stably,” the network expert emphasized.
Among other similar things, he named VK Messenger, Telegram and iMessage.
To prepare for blocking, it is important to transfer chats to another messenger, make data backups, and even better, install the function to automatically copy them regularly. Additionally, you should make sure that your Google Drive account is linked to your WhatsApp account, check the space on it and in iCloud to store copies, and remember the password, which, after blocking, will allow you to restore chats, the analyst concludes.
Anton Gorelkin, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, said: Let us remind you that WhatsApp* may face being blocked in Russia following the recent leak of diplomatic negotiations. According to experts, this “could happen tomorrow” or “in a year”. The State Duma believes that WhatsApp import substitution is being successfully completed thanks to the development of Max.
* Belongs to Meta company, considered extremist in Russia and banned
