The State Duma, the lower chamber of Russia's parliament, passed a bill on June 10 to create a new messaging app, the so-called "national messenger," the Duma's press service reported, as the Kremlin tries to reduce its dependency on WhatsApp and Telegram
The new app "combines the features of a messenger and the functions of government services," a statement read.
The news comes as Russia tries to reduce citizens' access to foreign messengers and other online services in favor of domestic applications.
The new online platform is needed to increase "the availability of governmental services" and "strengthen the protection of information exchanged among users," according to the bill.
The new application will be integrated into Russian state and municipal databases, and private information can be transferred with the user's consent, particularly for "identification, signing contracts, paying for services or goods."
Documents submitted through the "national messenger" will be equated to paper originals. The system will also allow users to certify documents with their electronic signatures.
The Russian messenger will include all "educational services and chats that educational institutions of all levels currently use."
The Russian government will choose a company to develop the application.
In March 2022, the Russian government blocked Facebook and Instagram. Two years later, Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced the blocking of Viber and Signal apps.
The Russian government is also considering blocking WhatsApp, an app owned by Meta, a company labeled as an "extremist organization" in Russia.
In July 2024, Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, began throttling YouTube speeds, initially blaming technical issues caused by wear and tear on Google's servers. Google dismissed the claim, while Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein later confirmed the slowdowns were intentional.
Ngotho Gichuru
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