Tech
What we know about Russia’s plans to develop a new messaging app to compete with WhatsApp and Telegram
The Russian government looks favorably on the creation of local apps that rival foreign options in quality.
The Kremlin has expressed its interest and support for the creation of domestic messaging services in Russia. This was confirmed by presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a recent meeting with TASS, the country’s news agency, stressing the importance of these platforms being of the “best quality” and “on par” with foreign alternatives already on the market.
What is the Russian government looking for with a new messaging service?
The development of a high-quality domestic courier, as proposed by the Kremlin, could be integrated into its ambitious digitalization project. “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 noted, making it clear that the key is to offer an experience comparable to that of the tech giants.
Peskov also reiterated the importance of fostering a competitive environment in this field, where “a national messenger - and not just a single one - should appear in our country,” with the intention of making competition the driver of innovation. “There should also be a competitive environment in this field, because worldwide, messengers thrive only in conditions of very, very tough competition,” he added.
The interest of the Kremlin is part of a larger picture. The State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, recently received amendments that would permit the establishment of a multipurpose digital service in the nation. With the use of a single digital ID, this idea aims to integrate state, financial, and commercial services into a single application. The goal is to make citizens’ lives easier by centralizing interactions with the government and amongst individuals and doing away with the need to carry around several documents and certificates.
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