The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia has blocked Meta's WhatsApp messaging service and suggested that people use MAX, a new state-backed platform, instead.

Earlier on Thursday, WhatsApp put out a statement saying the Russian government had “attempted to fully block WhatsApp.”

Meta-owned WhatsApp said the move aimed to push more than 100 million of its app users in Russia to a "state-owned surveillance app".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC that the decision had been made "due to (Meta's) unwillingness to comply with the norms and the letter of Russian law". He has said Meta could resume operations if it "complies with (the law) and enters into dialogue".

Earlier this week, Russia's internet watchdog said that it would also slap "phased restrictions" on messaging platform, Telegram, which it also accused of not complying with local legislation. Telegram is reportedly more popular in Russia than WhatsApp, especially for consuming news and entertainment.

Telegram's Russian-born founder Pavel Durov previously said it would remain committed to protecting freedom of speech and user privacy.