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WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, a lawmaker who regulates the IT sector said on Friday, warning that the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms is very likely to be put on a list of restricted software. Russian President Vladimir Putin last month signed a law authorising the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Moscow strives to reduce its dependence on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the lower house of parliament’s information technology committee, said in a statement on Telegram that the state-backed app, MAX, could gain market share should WhatsApp, used by 68% of Russians each day, leave. “It’s time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market,” Gorelkin said, noting that Meta is designated as an extremist organisation in Russia. The company’s Facebook and Instagram social media platforms have been banned in Russia since 2022 when Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT Anton Nemkin, a member of the parliament’s IT committee, said WhatsApp’s fate in Russia was predetermined. “The presence of such a service in Russia’s digital space is, in fact, a legal breach of national security,” the TASS news agency quoted Nemkin as saying. Asked if WhatsApp might leave Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said all services must abide by Russian law. Russia has long sought to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting home-grown services. Its push to replace foreign tech platforms became more urgent as some Western companies pulled out of the Russian market after 2022. The Kremlin this week published a list of instructions from Putin, including an order to introduce additional restrictions on the use in Russia of software, including communication services, produced in so-called “unfriendly countries” that have imposed sanctions against Russia. Putin gave a deadline of September 1. Gorelkin, referring to Putin’s order, said WhatsApp was likely to be among those communication services restricted. Gorelkin said he expected Telegram, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, to avoid being banned, provided it complies with Russian law. Telegram has started the procedure for creating a Russian legal entity, according to an update from state communications regulator Roskomnadzor this week. Alexander Marrow, Reuters
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While there is an intention to blend into the workforce, Gen Z also values self-expression. María José Gutierrez Chavez explains more.
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E-Commerce
Netflix on Thursday announced another quarter of steady growth as the video streaming service’s more than 300 million subscribers have become increasingly attractive to advertisers.It’s a familiar script that Netflix has followed for the past three years to widen its lead in video streaming while delivering financial results that have usually easily exceeded the analyst projections that steer investors.While Netflix’s profit eclipsed Wall Street’s expectations by a wide margin in the April-June quarter, its revenue came in right around the bar set by analysts. The Los Gatos, California, company earned $3.1 billion, or $7.19 per share, a 46% increase from the same time last year. Revenue rose 16% to $11.08 billion. Management also slightly raised its revenue forecast for the entire year, citing a belief that its programming lineup will reel in more subscribers in the second half than the first.“We’re really incredibly excited about the back half of this year and confident that it keeps rolling in ’26,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told analysts during a Thursday video conference.Although he believes Netflix remains “perfectly positioned to keep thriving,” Investing.com analyst Thomas Monteiro said investors were disappointed that the company didn’t boost its full-year guidance for revenue and its profit margins by even more against the backdrop of its accelerating momentum.Netflix’s shares slipped 1% in extended trading, indicating investors expected an even more robust performance. But that is a minor stumble, given Netflix’s stock price has soared 43% this year. The stock’s strong run began during the second half of 2022 when the company introduced a low-priced version of its service with commercial interruptions as an antidote to an abrupt downturn in subscribers.The video streaming service is also faring well in Hollywood, as evidenced by the 120 Emmy nominations showered upon its programs earlier this week second only to Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max. In the past quarter, Netflix hailed “Sirens,” “Ginny & Georgia” and “The Four Seasons” as being among its most watched programming.The popularity of Netflix’s scripted programming combined with weekly World Wrestling Entertainment spectacles, high-profile boxing matches and periodic National Football League games have enabled its service to retain subscribers while its prices rise, including on the cheapest tier.Netflix stopped providing quarterly updates on its total subscribers at the beginning of this year, but the company’s revenue growth leaves no doubt that the number has grown from the 302 million reported at the end of 2024.It’s gradually turning into an advertising magnet, too.Although Netflix still isn’t selling enough commercials to require a disclosure of its advertising revenue, management continues to highlight the growth in its results. Netflix said its ad revenue for this year is on pace to double from last year.Unlike most major tech companies, Netflix has had the benefit of peddling a service that so far has avoided being whipsawed by President Donald Trump’s fluctuating trade war.But Trump has threatened to introduce tariffs on entertainment made outside the U.S., a move that could hit Netflix especially hard because of its global reach.In an apparent olive branch for the president, Netflix made the unusual move of citing its commitment to the U.S. in its quarterly shareholder letter. The company disclosed that it had invested an estimated $125 billion in the U.S. from 2020-2024 and cited sound stages and production facilities in New Mexico and New Jersey as examples of its ongoing expansion in its home country. Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer
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