Russia's legislative body, the State Duma, has approved a legislation aimed at establishing a national messaging application. This move comes as a potential response to contemplating a WhatsApp blockage within the country.
Hear ye, hear ye! Russia's got a fresh new digital play in the works, and it's causing a stir. The lower chamber of Russia's parliament, aka the State Duma, has given the green light to the creation of a magical messaging app they're calling the "national messenger." Here's the sweet tea on what's up with that.
This sucker combines all the cool features of your regular messenger (think group chats, private messages, and cute emojis) with the radness of government services. That's right, you can chat it up with your friends and also sort out your passport renewal at the same damn time. Multi-tasking at its finest!
Makes sense, right? What with Russia wanting to snuggle up closer to its digital self and turn its back on foreign cats like WhatsApp and Telegram. They're working on a little digital distancing here, no biggie.
According to the bill, this new online hub is gonna make your life a thousand times easier. Say goodbye to the runaround with those damn bureaucrats, and say hello to increased access to governmental services and strengthened protection for the info swapped between you and your * Homies*.
This peachy new app will be linked directly to Russian state and municipal databases. But don't worry, you still have control over your personal info – they'll only slurp it up with your permission, especially for things like identifying yo' self, signing contracts, and settling up payments for services and goods.
And, here's the best part – documents dished through the national messenger? Consider them the digital equivalent of a fair copy. It'll feature an e-signature system too, so you can sign your life away without ever having to wipe your grubby little paws on papers again.
Not only that, but this Russian messenger will be a one-stop-shop for all your educational needs. Think online classes, virtual study groups, and digital library access – it'll have everything educational institutions are currently dishing out.
So, who gets the joy of building this folksy little app? The Russian government will groovy to a riff-off between some local tech companies and pick the sleekest cat to develop their digital dreamboat.
Remember when the Russian government blocked Facebook and Instagram back in March 2022? Yup, that was a bummer. Well, fast-forward to 2024, and you'll find the Russian communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, got a bit trigger-happy with the blocking of Viber and Signal apps too. Golly, it really hates outsiders, doesn't it?
And here's a fun fact – WhatsApp? Yep, it's on the Russian government's list of nasty extremist organizations (yes, really). So, it's not too much of a stretch to believe they might give it the heave-ho too.
But wait, there's more! In July 2024, Roskomnadzor started messing with YouTube's speeds, claiming technical snafus on Google's end. Google COLLECTIVELY flipped the bird, while Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein later UN-ironically confirmed the slowdowns were intentional.
That's the lowdown on the new Russian national messenger. It's a bold move, juggling chatting with official business and aiming to boost digital sovereignty. We'll see how it shakes out – these things can turn into a right ol' dumpster fire, but who knows? Maybe it'll be the start of something beautiful.
Technology is at the heart of this new digital endeavor, as the national messenger combines messaging features with government services, creating a seamless blend of communication and official tasks. In addition, the app will be linked directly to Russian state and municipal databases, utilizing technology to streamline access to governmental services and potentially transforming the digital landscape in Russia.
