Russian politician calls for WhatsApp ban, Promotes domestic software

Moscow: Deputy head of the Russian parliament's committee on information policy Anton Gorelkin on Wednesday asked state institutions to stop using WhatsApp. He said he will be deleting the app from his phone.

"I think it is necessary to introduce a full ban on WhatsApp use for official purposes by the Russian state and municipal employees," he wrote on Telegram. He added that it does not matter whether the alternative software is from Russia or Dubai. "The main thing is that it does not belong to a company that openly participates in the information war against our country and is included on the list of terrorist and extremist organisations."

Russia is trying to wean itself off Western technology and has already banned Meta's Facebook and Instagram after finding them guilty of "extremist activity" in March. Both social media platforms were blocked for objecting to restrictions on Russian media and posts by users in Ukraine. The Putin government later added both Meta products to the financial monitoring agency Rosfinmonitoring's list of "terrorists and extremists".

The Russian industry ministry is also trying to promote domestically produced software, reported Reuters.

Russia recently acknowledged its shortcomings in the electronics industry. Vasily Shpak, deputy industry and trade minister, said the space vacated by foreign telecom manufacturers should be filled by domestic ones. "There will be no going back. Firms exiting the country must not be allowed to return to the same niches they have vacated. This niche should be filled by our producers to form the basis of Russia's technological independence," reported Interfax news agency.