The Russian government is actively pursuing control over communication platforms and foreign software.

According to reports from the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service, a new action plan is underway.

President Putin has instructed the government to develop measures to restrict the usage of foreign software, including messaging apps from so-called ‘unfriendly countries’ by September 1, 2025.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta (designated as an extremist organization in Russia), is under particular scrutiny, making it a prime candidate for potential blocking. The situation with Telegram is also ambiguous; despite its Russian roots, its ‘independent’ stance and refusal to cooperate with authorities render its status uncertain.

The authorities have already launched a new centralized surveillance tool – the Max messenger from VK. All officials have been ordered to transition to Max. The application has full access to the microphone, camera, contacts, geolocation, and files. It cannot be disabled through standard means, employs root access and system jar files, which are indicative of malicious software. Data is automatically transmitted to servers linked with VK, which is under the control of Russian security services.