Russian leader Vladimir Putin has urged officials to shut down their WhatsApp accounts and use a new national messaging platform that the government intends to create over the next few years. WhatsApp is the only significant foreign messaging platform broadly used in Russia at the moment, but Putin wants to phase it out in favor of a locally controlled service.
The Russian State Duma has recently adopted a federal law to regulate the establishment of this new messaging service that will have support for text messaging, voice calls, and also act as a platform for accessing public and commercial services. Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov assured the development, according to TASS.
Peskov said that Russia‘s new messenger must be “best quality” and on par with foreign equivalents. The service will operate using Russian-created software and connect with the government portal Gosuslugi, allowing users to check their identity, exchange digital documents, make official transactions, and certify documents with electronic signatures.
Competition to Drive Innovation
Peskov underlined the necessity of creating competition in the sphere of messengers, indicating, “A national messenger – and not one single one – should emerge in our country,” emphasizing that competition stimulates progress. He continued by adding, “There must be a competitive environment in this area, because globally, messengers exist only in situations of very, very harsh competition.”
Worldwide Trend: Nations Creating Their Own Messaging Apps
Russia will be followed by other countries such as China, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea, which already have their own native messaging platforms to manage communications and deliver secure government services.
