Russia starts its own messenger: competition for WhatsApp comes!

Russia starts its own messenger: competition for WhatsApp comes!

Russland - Today Russia has launched a national messenger service to reduce the dependence on foreign platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram. The chairman of the Committee on Information Policy in the Russian Parliament, Sergei Bojarski, announced the introduction of this service, which is intended to represent a decisive component in the country's digital security architecture. According to [Kosmo] reports that the national messenger is primarily intended to replace foreign applications with domestic alternatives.

The initiative is in the context of a comprehensive digital transformation, which, in addition to communication services, also includes e-government, social networks and online banking. Bojarski also emphasized that existing services such as WhatsApp and Telegram should not be pushed from the market as long as they comply with the legal requirements. This could offer a certain continuity for many users, while Russia wants to strengthen its digital sovereignty.

national digital services

These developments are part of Russia's strategy for digital sovereignty. By creating national platforms, the government tries to strengthen control over communication data and information in the country. According to the [DGAP], the digital sphere is of central importance in view of the geopolitical conflict and the inner legitimacy crisis in Russia. Russia has introduced numerous laws to control the Internet in recent years and tried to reduce its dependence on western technologies, but at the same time has difficulty becoming independent in hardware and software production.

challenges and perspectives

The challenges in front of which Russia faces are diverse. Despite the progress in internet control, the country cannot fully disconnect from the global Internet and foreign technologies without risking serious consequences for the population and the economy. In areas such as microchip production, 5G technologies and cloud computing, Russia is still heavily dependent on western manufacturers.

In order to achieve long-term self-sufficiency in the IT area, Russia would have to create a complete alternative to foreign technologies, which seems almost impossible at short notice. Russia also hesitates to switch to Chinese alternatives because there are security concerns. According to the DGAP, the EU's digital policy could play an important role by considering cooperation with Russian IT companies and promoting dialogue with universities and scientists in technological areas.

Thus, the introduction of the new national messenger service not only shows the efforts of Russia according to digital sovereignty, but also the complexity and the challenges associated with this ambitious goal.