Page 21 - RusRPTJan21

2.6 ​ ​Russian government releases mandated phone app software list
After much delay, lawmakers have determined which Russian-made apps must come pre-installed on smartphones sold in Russia under the so-called “law against Apple.” Recall, last December, Putin signed into law a bill that mandates all smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs, and Smart TVs in Russia come preloaded with domestic software. The legislation did not sit well with Apple, which forbids preinstalling third-party apps on its hardware and threatened to leave the Russian market as a result. The legislation was supposed to enter into force on July 1, but it’s been held up in the bureaucracy.
Which apps did the government choose? MinTsifry selected 29 software programs out of 100 contenders. Thirteen belong to Mail.ru Group and five belong to Yandex. Mail.ru’s email app, ICQ messenger, Marusya voice assistant, news aggregator, OK Live streaming service, and Vkontakte will be mandated. Yandex won out on the browser, search engine, maps, and cloud storage apps. From Kaspersky Labs, the government selected an anti-virus and an office software. Vedomosti’s mobile app was chosen in the media category. Lastly, the state-run Mir payment system and government services apps will be required on each phone.
According to an analyst from Mobile Research Group, the government’s selections show that it’s much more interested in supporting certain tech firms than listening to the population’s desires. Mail.ru’s ICQ messenger, for
21 ​RUSSIA Country Report​ January 2021 ​ ​www.intellinews.com