Putin wants national messenger app to replace WhatsApp in Russia
What's the story
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for the development of a "national messaging app" to replace WhatsApp, the last remaining foreign messaging platform in Russia.
The State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament, has adopted a federal law to create this new service for communication and calls.
The move comes amid rising concerns over digital sovereignty and reliance on foreign tech platforms.
Integration details
National messenger to be integrated with government services
The proposed national messenger will run on domestically developed software and be integrated with the government portal Gosuslugi.
This integration would allow users to authenticate their identities, submit digital documents, conduct transactions, and sign documents using electronic signatures.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said that the new service should match global standards in terms of quality and competition.
Digital independence
Push for digital sovereignty
The push for a national messenger is part of Russia's broader strategy to achieve digital sovereignty by promoting homegrown services.
The move gained momentum after some Western companies exited the Russian market following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Anton Gorelkin, deputy head of the Russian parliament's information policy committee, said that the new app would offer messaging and calls, as well as unique features not offered by Telegram and WhatsApp.
Strategic edge
Integration with government services
Gorelkin emphasized that the main competitive edge of the new platform would be its deep integration with government services.
Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev had proposed this idea during a meeting with Putin, stressing Russia's lag behind other countries in this area.
The draft legislation still needs approval from the upper house of parliament and Putin's signature to become law.