Deputy Anton Gorelkin spoke about possible changes in the messenger market in Russia. According to him, Telegram, despite its ambiguous jurisdiction, will not be included in the list of software from unfriendly countries, for which the Russian government is preparing restrictions. At the same time, WhatsApp is highly likely to be on this list.
Gorelkin noted that 68% of Russians use WhatsApp daily, and Telegram ranks second with a coverage of 55%. At the same time, the jurisdiction of Telegram remains a subject of discussion: although the company is registered in the British Virgin Islands (according to the RKN register), its headquarters are located in the UAE. The deputy believes that Telegram will retain its position in the Russian market if it continues to comply with local legislation.
The RKN register indicates the British Virgin Islands as the country of registration, but the main office of Pavel Durov's company, as you know, is located in the Arab Emirates, which are quite friendly to us. Personally, I believe that Telegram will not be included in that list, especially if it fulfills the requirements of Russian legislation and proves its desire to remain on the market.
If WhatsApp leaves, the Russian messenger MAX may become the main contender for its share. Gorelkin emphasized that he expects it to introduce new functions, such as verification through "Gosuslugi", integration with state services, and support for digital ID. At the same time, he noted that MAX has already implemented business accounts, which brings it closer to a possible replacement for WhatsApp.
At the same time, Deputy Nemkin considers the presence of WhatsApp to be a loophole in Russia's national security.
In addition, there are rumors circulating online that WhatsApp is planning to be blocked in August, transferring school and home chats, as well as chats of budgetary organizations, to the Russian analogue MAX.
Earlier www1.ru reported on the «landing» of Telegram in Russia.
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