russia Is Trying to Establish Control over Messengers and Foreign Software

putin has instructed the government to develop measures to restrict the use of foreign software in the rf, including messengers developed in “unfriendly countries”, by September 1, 2025.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta (recognized as an extremist organization in the rf), has come under special scrutiny, making it one of the main candidates for potential blocking. The situation with Telegram is also ambiguous: although the messenger is of russian origin, its allegedly “independent” position and refusal to cooperate with the authorities make its status uncertain.

The authorities have already created a new element of the centralized digital surveillance system – the Max messenger from VK. All officials have been ordered to switch to Max. The app has full access to the microphone, camera, contacts, geolocation, and files. It cannot be disabled by standard means, uses root access and system jar files – signs of malware. The data are automatically transferred to servers associated with VK, which is controlled by the rf’s secret services.