Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to explore additional restrictions on the use of software, including communication services, from "unfriendly countries," according to TASS.
The directive, published on the Kremlin's website, mandates the Russian government to present proposals by September 1, 2025, aimed at imposing further limitations on the use of foreign-made software in Russia, specifically targeting communication platforms.
This move follows complaints made in May during a meeting between Putin and business leaders, where one participant pointed out that services like Zoom, despite claims of leaving the Russian market, continue to operate in the country, resulting in billions of losses for domestic developers. In response, Putin emphasized that Russia had not forcibly expelled anyone from its market but was being "suffocated" by external pressures. He suggested that the country should adopt mirror policies and take action against foreign IT services like Zoom and Microsoft.
In response to these concerns, Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev proposed a gradual reduction in the use of foreign cloud services that have Russian alternatives.
Experts speculate that messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram could also be subject to restrictions. In place of these services, the government plans to launch a national messaging platform, Max. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has already signed an order for its implementation, and a report on its progress is expected to be presented to the president by August 15.
According to Bloomberg, Max's functionality is expected to resemble China's WeChat, integrating a variety of communication and services into a single platform.
