Russia Updates Mandatory Bloatware List For 2027 Devices
State bureaucrats have refreshed the mandatory digital survival kit for gadgets sold in Russia, forcing AI assistants and domestic apps straight into fresh hardware boxes.
The official government decree number 1977-r dictates what software must come out of the box on smartphones, tablets, computers, and smart TVs starting January 1, 2027. The biggest shakeup in the voice assistant bracket replaces VK's Marusia with Yandex's Alice AI, marking the first time a state-mandated tool is officially categorized as a neural network rather than a plain helper.
Social networks are receiving uniform cross-platform coverage as Odnoklassniki joins VKontakte and VK Video across Android, HarmonyOS, and iOS. Even the open-source world could not escape bureaucratic attention, as Kaspersky Free antivirus has now been formally mandated for Linux PCs alongside its traditional presence on Windows machines.
The mobile category remains the heaviest part of the decree with 19 mandated applications covering public services, payments, and navigation. Yandex is cemented as the default system search engine, requiring zero extra configuration out of the box, while retail sellers face administrative fines of up to 200,000 rubles if any unapproved gadget slips onto store shelves without the preloaded software stack.
Enforcing state-approved software across every consumer screen turns every new gadget purchase into an automatic digital census before the owner even touches the power button.
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