Putin authorises creation of state messaging app to combat WhatsApp and Telegram
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday 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 such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
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 Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian lawmakers said the state app will have functionality that Telegram and Meta Platforms' WhatsApp do not. Critics said the fact that Russia will exercise state control over it poses risks to privacy and personal freedoms.
Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Internet Protection Society, a Russian digital rights group, said earlier this month he expected Russia to slow the speeds of WhatsApp and Telegram to encourage people to switch over to the new app.
Reuters
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