Russian ministry calls for a ban of foreign messaging and videoconferencing services for official purposes

Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade recommended that industrial enterprises stop using Zoom, Skype, and WhatsApp for official purposes and opt for Russian systems as an alternative.

As Kommersant (Russian news agency) reports, the ministry explained its decision ‘as the requirement to comply with the government’s requirements and strengthen information security measures.’

Another high-ranking Russian official had made a similar request. A ‘full ban on WhatsApp use for official purposes by the Russian state and municipal employees’ was demanded by Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the Information Policy Committee of the Russian parliament.