Russia to develop national messaging app

MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Tuesday to develop a national messaging app and ensure its widespread use, primarily in public institutions, according to media reports.

The Digital Development Ministry announced it was working on the app for national use due to security vulnerabilities in WhatsApp and Telegram.

The app, which is expected to resemble China's WeChat, may be based on the Max app developed by the Russian company, VK, according to reports in the Russian media.

The messaging app under development is expected to be pre-installed on new smartphones sold in Russia and made mandatory for operations at public institutions.