Russia's Bid for Control Over Messaging Apps and Software

The Russian Federation is intensifying its control over messaging applications and foreign software.

This was reported by the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service.

President Putin has tasked the government with developing measures to restrict the use of foreign software, including messaging apps from so-called 'unfriendly countries', by September 1, 2025.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta (which is labeled as extremist in Russia), has come under particular scrutiny and is a prime candidate for potential blocking. The situation with Telegram is also ambiguous; despite its Russian origins, its purported 'independent' stance and refusal to cooperate with the authorities render its status uncertain.

The authorities have already established a new element of a centralized digital surveillance system – the Max messenger from VK. All officials have been ordered to switch to Max. This application has complete access to the microphone, camera, contacts, geolocation, and files. It cannot be turned off using standard methods, employs root access, and utilizes system jar files – indicators of malicious software. Data is automatically transmitted to servers associated with VK, which is under the control of Russian security services.