Governments are promoting locally built messaging apps to reduce dependence on global platforms and to support national tech goals. Tajikistan launched ORIZ for migrants in Russia, while India is backing a WhatsApp rival under its "Made in India" initiative to bolster domestic industry and resist foreign policy exposure. The trend echoes moves in Russia and Kazakhstan, where state-supported apps like MAX have been mandated on new devices, raising questions about privacy, control, and market fragmentation.
Governments Push Homegrown Messaging Apps to Curb Reliance on Global Platforms
Governments are promoting locally built messaging apps to reduce dependence on global platforms and to support national tech goals. Tajikistan launched ORIZ for migrants in Russia, while India is backing a WhatsApp rival under its "Made in India" initiative to bolster domestic industry and resist foreign policy exposure. The trend echoes moves in Russia and Kazakhstan, where state-supported apps like MAX have been mandated on new devices, raising questions about privacy, control, and market fragmentation.
03:52 AM, 11/14/2025Technology
Countries promote domestic messaging apps amid rising tech nationalism
Several governments are increasingly promoting locally developed messaging platforms as alternatives to dominant global services. This week Tajikistan unveiled ORIZ, a national messaging app aimed at Tajik migrants in Russia, where users often rely on Telegram and WhatsApp. Indian officials are similarly encouraging a homegrown WhatsApp competitor as part of the government’s "Made in India" push—an effort framed as strengthening domestic technology and reducing exposure to foreign policies and tariffs.
These initiatives mirror moves in other countries. In Russia, authorities have directed that the state-backed MAX app be pre-installed on new phones and tablets, and Kazakhstan has pursued similar efforts to bolster national platforms. Observers say such policies reflect a mix of economic protectionism, concerns about data sovereignty, and a desire for greater state oversight of online communications.
Implications and context
Proponents argue that domestic apps can improve local control over data, support national tech industries, and better serve diasporas with language-specific features. Critics warn that state-backed or mandated platforms can enable increased surveillance and censorship, fragment global communications, and struggle to match the security, scale, and user experience of established international apps.
As countries balance economic, political, and privacy concerns, the competition between local and global messaging services is likely to intensify—shaping how millions communicate across borders.