Russia locks in mandatory state bloatware and Yandex default for 2027 gadgets

The Russian government officially published an updated mandate establishing exactly which domestic software must come pre-installed on all smartphones, computers, and smart TVs sold in the country starting in 2027.

Under the revised directive, hardware vendors must bundle a state-approved software suite featuring the RuStore app marketplace, public services portal Gosuslugi, social platforms VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, VK Video, media aggregator Dzen, and newcomer chat app Max.

The official decree brought a shakeup to domestic artificial intelligence services: VK's voice assistant Marusya was officially scrapped from the mandatory mobile roster, clearing a state-enforced monopoly lane for Yandex's upgraded Alisa AI.

The compulsory mobile package is rounded out by Yandex Maps, 2GIS navigation, Yandex Disk cloud storage, office productivity tool MyOffice, Mail.ru email, digital bookstore Litres, contactless payment system Mir Pay, and security suite by Kaspersky Lab.

Desktop computers avoid the full mobile payload but must still leave factories equipped with Yandex Browser, MyOffice, and Kaspersky antivirus. In addition, the regulation explicitly requires manufacturers to hardcode Yandex as the out-of-the-box default search engine across all platforms.

Turning brand-new consumer hardware into a pre-packaged digital surveillance terrarium years in advance illustrates an unrelenting desire to ensure citizens never accidentally stumble upon an unapproved line of code.