Russia Considers Launching National Messaging App with Built-In Government Services

A new initiative could soon bring Russians a domestic alternative to WhatsApp and Telegram—complete with digital ID and state service access.

Russia may soon launch its own multifunctional messaging app, combining private communication tools with integrated government services. The proposal was put forward by Sergey Boyarsky, head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy.

According to Boyarsky, the app would include a digital ID feature, enabling users to access virtual versions of personal documents like identification and other official papers. Importantly, paper documents would still remain valid.

“We are creating new opportunities, not restrictions,” Boyarsky said. “WhatsApp and Telegram can keep operating, but only under full compliance with our laws. They’ve ignored these requirements because there was no alternative—but now we are building one.”

The Kremlin has voiced support for the idea. As reported by Kommersant, presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the app a worthy competitor to foreign platforms, emphasizing that it must be technologically competitive.