A woman uses the WhatsApp application on her cell phone. Photo: EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

A Russian lawmaker has called on WhatsApp to prepare to exit the Russian market, in light of its likely inclusion on a list of “software from unfriendly countries”, a new register being developed by the Kremlin amid a push to boost domestic digital services.

In a Telegram post Friday, Deputy Anton Gorelkin, a senior lawmaker on the State Duma’s information policy committee, suggested that WhatsApp — which he says is used by 68% of Russians daily — could soon face restrictions and be replaced by MAX, a new state-backed messaging platform.

Asked the same day about WhatsApp’s future in Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to rule out potential restrictions.

“It is the number one service in terms of popularity,” Peskov said. “Same as any other service, of course it has certain duties under laws of the Russian Federation.”

In his post, Gorelkin also highlighted the possibility of Telegram facing restrictions, though he clarified the messaging service could avoid designation as “unfriendly” software if it “complied” with Russian legislative requirements and “proved its desire” to remain in the Russian market.

Earlier this week, Telegram began the process of setting up a legal presence in Russia, applying to media regulator Roskomnadzor to open a local office, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported on Thursday.

Gorelkin’s comments come amid a wider push by the Kremlin to limit the popularity of foreign tech services and foster digital sovereignty.

According to Euronews, following a meeting with Russian businessmen on 26 May, Vladimir Putin called for foreign applications that remain widely used to be “strangled” in order to boost the domestic IT sector.

Since then, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media has been ordered by the Kremlin to develop a list of “additional restrictions” on software made in “unfriendly foreign countries”, a designation given by Moscow to states accused of taking “unfriendly actions” against Russia.

As of 2025, the list includes most EU countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Switzerland, and other countries in the West.