On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that paves the way for the development of a state-supported messaging application linked to government services. This initiative is part of Moscow’s efforts to reduce its reliance on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
For some time, Russia has been working to establish what it terms digital sovereignty by promoting local services. The urgency of replacing foreign tech platforms has increased following the exit of several Western companies from the Russian market after the onset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.
According to the Russian media, the government application will offer features that are not available on platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp. However, critics warn that this level of control by the Russian government may pose risks to privacy and individual freedoms.
Earlier this month, Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Internet Protection Society, a Russian organization advocating for digital rights, expressed his expectation that Russia would reduce the speeds of WhatsApp and Telegram to incentivize users to switch to the new app.