Moscow, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a law authorizing the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Moscow strives to reduce its dependence on foreign platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Russia has long pursued what it calls “digital sovereignty” by promoting homegrown services. This push to replace foreign tech platforms gained urgency after some Western companies withdrew from the Russian market following Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian lawmakers claim the new state app will offer functionalities not available on platforms like Telegram and Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp. Critics, however, voice concerns that the state’s control over the app poses significant risks to privacy and personal freedoms.
Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Internet Protection Society, a Russian digital rights group, stated earlier this month that he anticipates Russia will slow down the speeds of WhatsApp and Telegram to encourage users to switch to the new state-controlled application.
WhatsApp Banned on US House of Representatives Devices
In a related development, Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp messaging service was banned from all US House of Representatives devices, according to a memo circulated to all House staff on Monday.
The notice from the Office of Cybersecurity cited “a high risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use.”
The memo, issued by the chief administrative officer, recommended the use of alternative messaging apps, including Microsoft Corp’s Teams platform, Amazon.com’s Wickr, Signal, and Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime.
Meta strongly disagreed with this move, as stated by a company spokesperson, who emphasized that WhatsApp provides a higher level of security than many of the other approved applications.
In January, a WhatsApp official had revealed that the Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted numerous WhatsApp users, including journalists and members of civil society.
