June 17, 2025

iState: A Russian Government Messenger?


iState: A Russian Government Messenger?
iPhone screen.
freestocks.org from Olsztyn, Poland
, Wikimedia Commons.

On June 10, The Russian State Duma approved the creation of a multi-purpose "national messenger" in Russia that will be pre-installed on newly sold smart devices in the country. Novaya Gazeta Evropa spoke to an internet-specialist lawyer to see how Russians' private conversations and information may be compromised by the new messenger.

Starting September 1, all smartphones and tablets will have a pre-downloaded national messaging app combined with a digital ID system. Head of the State Duma IT Committee Sergei Boyarsky said the national app would allow users to receive government services, verify identity, sign contracts, and execute bank transactions. Educational services and chats will also move to the multipurpose government messenger.

Inspired by China's WeChat, which allows its users to text, pay, and even book hotels from the app, Russia's Ministry of Digital Development wants its own national messenger, but not for its convenience. WeChat is known to surveil and censor users. Lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan fears Russia will store messages and data from the users and send them to law enforcement.

The government has not yet determined which app will be chosen for their project. Russia has attempted five times to create a messenger like the Ukrainian-American created WhatsApp. Meta, the current owner of WhatsApp, has been declared “extremist” by the Russian state The likely candidate for the national app is Max, VKontakte's WeChat-like messaging platform.

Darbinyan said Max or any other national messenger is unlikely to fully migrate WhatsApp’s 97.4 million users in Russia to its platform. And the app will likely only be used nationally, limiting its audience and their communications with people abroad. Unlike other messaging platforms that have end-to-end encryption, Darbinyan said it was likely that Max would have cryptography approved by the FSB. This setup will allow special forces to easily decode any message in the platform. “So it will definitely not be a platform for the free exchange of information,” said the lawyer.

Undeterred, Boyarsky said, "Whatsapp and Telegram will continue to function and live out their century, but now on the condition of unconditional compliance with our laws. They will no longer be able to ignore [the laws], taking advantage that there is no replacement for them." 

You Might Also Like

One for the Books
  • May 11, 2025

One for the Books

2024's Victory Day parade was a bit of a dud. 2025's more than made up for it.
With Prayers and Drones
  • April 28, 2025

With Prayers and Drones

Dozens of Orthodox military-patriotic clubs across Russia prepare children for war.
Finn-ancial Crisis?
  • April 14, 2025

Finn-ancial Crisis?

The Finnish parliament has passed a law forbidding Russians from owning real estate in the country.
Log Your Blog, or Else
  • April 06, 2025

Log Your Blog, or Else

Russian influencers could face consequences if they fail to register with the state.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955