 "WhatsApp logo is seen in this illustration taken, on August 22, 2022. Reuters File")
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants his officials to deactivate their WhatsApp accounts and embrace a national messaging service that the country plans to create within the next few years.
WhatsApp is the last surviving foreign messaging platform in Russia, and now, Putin wants it gone. The Russian president recently highlighted the need to establish a “national messenger”.
The State Duma of Russia has adopted a federal law that will oversee the creation of the service for correspondence, telephone calls, and as a platform to receive public and commercial services.
The development was confirmed by presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to a report by TASS.
What will the new messenger be like?
Peskov has noted that Russia’s indigenous messaging service should be “best quality” and “on par” with foreign alternatives.
The new service will run on Russian-developed software and be integrated with the government portal Gosuslugi, allowing users to verify their identity, present digital documents, register transactions, and certify documents using electronic signatures.
“The emergence of a national messenger is great, provided that it will be a competitive messenger that is on par, as they say, with foreign alternatives. Because there are many of them out there, and anyone can use them,” Peskov said.
Peskov emphasised the need to cultivate a competitive landscape in the sector, stating that “a national messenger - and not just a single one - should appear in our country,” highlighting the belief that competition fuels innovation. He added, “There should also be a competitive environment in this field, because worldwide, messengers thrive only in conditions of very, very tough competition.”
Which countries have their own messaging services?
With the introduction of its own messaging service, Russia won’t be the first country to enter the market of correspondence apps.
Countries like China, Vietnam, Japan and South Korea have their indigenous messaging applications.