Russia is not planning to ban foreign messaging apps, provided they comply with Russian law

Russia is not going to ban foreign messengers, a representative of the highest power in Moscow has indicated amid efforts to create a local competitor to Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps among Russian speakers.

The statement follows reports that Telegram is preparing to open an office in Russia, referring to a registration filing with the country’s telecom watchdog. These have been reportedly denied by founder Pavel Durov, although he has also made it clear the platform is not leaving the Russian market.

Comply with Russian rules and you are safe, Kremlin official tells messengers

Russia is not considering blocking foreign apps for messaging, provided they comply with Russian law, the deputy head of Putin’s administration, Maxim Oreshkin, has stated during a youth educational forum held under the “Territory of Meanings” banner.

Current legislation in the Russian Federation imposes certain requirements for messengers regarding registration and prevention of fraud and other crimes involving telecommunications services and platforms, the high-ranking Kremlin official explained, answering a question, and further elaborated:

“If these services – whether Russian or foreign – comply with those requirements, nothing will happen to them. It’s clear that the authorities have no desire to ban everything indiscriminately, as that would lead to negative consequences.”

Quoted by the official TASS news agency, Oreshkin highlighted that Russia has embarked on the task of creating “a domestic messenger that citizens can enjoy.”

“You mentioned the Max messenger. Look at what it is capable of. Let’s help developers build it in a way that is convenient, or even more convenient than other services,” the representative of the Russian President suggested.

Oreshkin was referring to the platform developed by VK, Russia’s most popular social media network, formerly known as Vkontakte. Max has been chosen as the basis for the new Russian massaging app. Vladimir Putin signed a law for its establishment at the end of June.

The deputy chief of his office also emphasized that Max could offer close integration with Russia’s banking system, something that international messengers cannot provide due to security concerns, including the risk of theft of user funds. He insisted:

“Thanks to these additional features, a Russian service like this should naturally win out in a competitive marketplace.”

“Entrepreneurs need to explore the available tools and start using them more quickly. Because the first to offer a more convenient service to their customers will always have a competitive edge,” Oreshkin pondered.

No ban promise comes after reports Telegram is opening office in Russia

Maxim Oreshkin’s promise not to ban foreign messengers follows recent media reports that Telegram, the privacy-focused app widely used in the global crypto space, and particularly by its Russian-speaking members, is taking steps to comply with Russian law.

Last week, a number of Russian news outlets quoted a registration entry for Telegram that appeared on the website of the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, Russia’s telecom watchdog and media censor, also known as Roskomnadzor.

The record has been read by some as a move to fulfil one of Moscow’s key regulatory requirements for foreign providers of messaging services – to register a Russian entity and establish permanent presence in Russia by opening a local branch of the British Virgin Islands-registered company.

Right after the articles came out, Telegram founder Pavel Durov, who is also the co-founder of VK, posted a reaction on his channel that has been interpreted as a denial.

But he has also previously rejected reports that the messenger is exiting the Russian market, calling those “a targeted campaign to discredit Telegram.”

Russian-born Durov left the motherland in 2013 amid disputes with VK’s new owners and increased pressure from authorities in Moscow, which later wanted him to share Telegram messages as well.

In an interview last month, pulling the curtain on his difficult relations with governments, Durov was categorical that he has no business with the Putin administration, which has run Russia since the turn of the century.

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