On June 1, 2025, Federal Law No. 41-FZ came into force in Russia, prohibiting the use of foreign messengers when transmitting confidential information in a number of government and financial organizations. In fact, almost any company that interacts with clients through such channels and transmits personal or payment data may be subject to the ban. This is a game-changer for many organizations.
In this article, we will examine in detail what exactly has changed, why such a law was adopted, and what consequences await businesses. We will also tell you which messengers were banned and how to organize communications in the new conditions.
Why this law was adopted: reasons and goals
Full name of the law: "On the creation of a state information system to combat offenses committed using information and communication technologies, and on amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation".
The idea of restricting the use of foreign instant messengers has been discussed in Russia for several years. The reason for its active promotion was several factors that have been accumulating since 2022.
1. Increase in Fraud via Messengers
and the , a significant portion of frauds with bank cards and personal data occurred through WhatsApp, Telegram and other foreign messengers. The attackers posed as employees of banks, government agencies and companies, sending phishing links, fake documents and requests to transfer money. The fact that these messengers are not controlled in any way on Russian territory made the fight against this type of crime virtually impossible.
2. Leakage of personal data
Since foreign platforms are not required to store user data in Russia and can transfer information to third parties abroad, using such messengers for business correspondence violates the law "On personal data". This issue was especially acute for banks, telecom companies and government service providers, where millions of records with sensitive information circulate.
3. Sovereignty and digital security
The state strives for digital sovereignty — that is, to use only those IT tools that are under domestic control. Precedents of blocking, interference of foreign services in political processes and geopolitical instability have increased the need to switch to domestic solutions. The use of foreign messengers has come to be considered a risk not only for business, but also for national security.
Only those platforms that transmit data within Russia and meet the requirements of the FSB and Roskomnadzor can be used in official and commercial communications. The law of June 1, 2025, became a logical continuation of this digital policy.
If you are looking for a replacement for a foreign messenger, try the eXpress corporate communications and mobility platform. A secure messenger with chats and channels, video conferences for 256 participants, and calls — all in one application. The platform is included in the Unified Register of Russian Software and can completely replace any foreign service, ensuring reliable transfer and storage of corporate company data.
Who is affected by the ban: list of organizations
The ban applies to the following organizations:
- Federal authorities — the State Duma, the Federation Council, the Government of the Russian Federation, ministries;
- Regional and municipal authorities — regional, city, and rural administrations;
- Federal services and agencies — the Federal Tax Service, the Federal Antimonopoly Service, Rosreestr, Roskomnadzor, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Rospotrebnadzor, the Pension Fund, etc.;
- State extra-budgetary funds — the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund, the Pension Fund, the Social Insurance Fund, etc.;
- State and private banks, including the Bank of Russia, Sberbank, VTB, Gazprombank, Alfa-Bank, Raiffeisen, etc., if they use foreign instant messengers for notifications;
- Microfinance organizations and credit cooperatives;
- Leasing and factoring companies;
- Insurance companies;
- Payment systems and aggregators — ЮKassa, MIR, etc.;
- Communication operators — Tele 2, MTS, etc.;
- Marketplaces — Wildberries, Ozon, Yandex.Market;
- Social networks — VK, Yandex, Odnoklassniki;
- Services for posting services and ads — hh.ru, Avito;
- Other large Internet platforms with an audience of more than 500 thousand users per day;
- Owners of aggregators of information about goods and services, for example, travel agencies.
If you simply publish news in a Telegram channel, this is not a violation. But if a client receives an order number, a payment link, personal data through a Telegram bot, this is already prohibited.
Which messengers are prohibited
The following foreign messengers are subject to the ban:
- Telegram
- Skype for Business
- Viber
- Discord
- Microsoft Teams
- Threema
- Snapchat
The ban applies to any cases of personal communication when a company specifically informs or consults a citizen through a foreign messenger. Personal communication means any individual correspondence, sending notifications, order confirmations, technical support, etc.
This law supplements the rules on administrative liability for violating the federal law "On Communications". The State Duma approved the fines back in June 2023. Officials and companies that violate the law will be fined in the amount of 30,000 to 700,000 rubles. It is also possible for Roskomnadzor to block accounts in messengers if the ban is ignored.
What to do if your company is subject to restrictions?
If your organization falls under the Federal Law No. 41-FZ, which came into force on June 1, 2025, you need to quickly find a worthy replacement for your messenger on the Russian market and reconfigure communication channels with clients and employees.
First, analyze for what tasks you use prohibited messengers, and then choose several Russian analogues with similar functionality and test them.
The list of permitted messengers in Russia includes the following popular platforms:
- eXpress is a corporate messenger with support for video calls, chat bots, and SmartApps applications.
- VK WorkSpace — messenger and ecosystem of work services from VK;
- TrueConf — solution for video communication and chats;
- Kontur.Tolk — corporate platform for video conferencing with chats;
- Max — application for calls, chats and file sharing;
- MTS Link — platform for communications.
This is only a part of the available applications - to check whether a specific messenger is allowed in Russia, go to the official website of the
eXpress is a platform developed taking into account Russian realities and legal requirements. Download eXpress for free or Contact our expert for detailed consultation on implementing the corporate version of eXpress.
