Russia to mandate state-backed digital ID app on all new devices starting September

By lauraharris // 2025-06-22

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Starting September, all smartphones and electronic devices sold in Russia must come preloaded with a government-developed app that consolidates digital ID, messaging and access to public services.
The platform will allow users to verify identity, sign documents, access benefits and conduct financial transactions, effectively replacing many physical forms of identification.
The law mandates that the app be developed by a Russian company with at least 500,000 daily users, subject to existing state censorship and monitoring requirements.
VKontakte, Russia’s leading social network with ties to the government, is expected to lead the project, building on its existing "Max" super app.
Critics and independent outlets warn the initiative may expand state surveillance and content control, likening it to China's WeChat and India's Aadhaar, but with more aggressive, mandatory implementation.

Russia has announced that beginning September, all smartphones, tablets and similar electronic devices sold within its borders must come preinstalled with a state-backed digital identity platform. The legislation, passed by the State Duma on June 10, mandates the integration of an all-in-one application designed to consolidate government services, financial tools, digital ID and messaging into a single platform. The app will enable users to check into hotels, verify their age for alcohol purchases, access student discounts and conduct property or banking transactions, all without physical documentation. (Related: U.K. government to launch digital ID wallet this summer.) Under the law, development and oversight of the app must be assigned to a domestic company with a minimum of 500,000 daily active users. These entities are already subject to existing requirements for content monitoring and censorship, underscoring the government's intent to maintain strict oversight of digital platforms. Though the official contractor has not yet been named, VKontakte, Russia's largest social network and a subsidiary of state-aligned tech conglomerate VK, is expected to take the lead. Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev pointed to the company's new app, Max, which integrates messaging, payments and voice calls, as a strong foundation for the coming platform. Developers have indicated plans to integrate Max with government services in the future. Observers have likened the new app to China's WeChat – an all-in-one platform for messaging, payments and identification – and India's Aadhaar, a biometric ID system that underpins public service delivery. However, Russia's mandatory pre-installation policy marks a more aggressive approach, one that essentially guarantees ubiquitous adoption by embedding the tool into the very devices people use daily. "It will be more than a national messenger with numerous interesting and unique functions," State Duma Information Policy Committee Chairman Sergei Boyarsky said when he presented the initiative. "A trusted and secure environment will be created for communication and telephone calls with simultaneous access to public and commercial services. We have clearly defined its characteristics and security requirements. I have no doubt this is the right step towards strengthening our digital sovereignty."

Russia's "digital sovereignty" push sparks fears of surveillance

The Kremlin has promoted the initiative as a leap forward in convenience and digital modernization, but critics see it as the latest step in a broader campaign to assert digital sovereignty – a long-standing policy aimed at replacing foreign platforms with domestic alternatives and tightening state control over the digital sphere. "Officials continue to frame the initiative as a convenience for citizens, promising tighter integration with the Gosuslugi portal and a more streamlined way to interact with public institutions," Ken Macon wrote in his article for Reclaim the Net. "Yet the move also represents a dramatic consolidation of data, identity and digital communication under state oversight, reviving longstanding privacy concerns in a country where centralized digital control has been steadily expanding." Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has accelerated efforts to become technologically self-sufficient. Western tech companies have exited or curtailed operations in Russia, leading Moscow to expand homegrown alternatives. Bans on services like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were followed by the rise of state-supported platforms and tools, now culminating in the creation of a centralized digital ecosystem. Moreover, independent outlet Meduza raised concerns that the project could heighten surveillance and tighten content control, particularly in light of VKontakte's longstanding relationship with Russian state authorities. Visit PrivacyWatch.news for more stories like this. Watch this video to learn how the digital ID will control your life.

This video is from the Data Dumper channel on Brighteon.com.

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Russia's "digital sovereignty" push sparks fears of surveillance

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