UPDATE: 11/21: As the BBC reports, Russia's Parliament has decided to implement the legislation that will force Russian software on to every smartphone, computer, and television sold in the country. The new law will come into force in July 2020 and requires Russian alternatives be offered at least alongside the preferred options, so for example, we could see smartphones shipping with two search apps installed by default.

Original Story: 11/11:

Nobody likes having apps pre-installed on a device, especially if it's impossible to remove them, but it looks as though Russia may be about to force the inclusion of locally-developed apps on to all electronic devices.

As ZDNet reports, a bill is currently being debated in the Russian Parliament which, if passed, would demand a list of apps developed by Russian tech firms be included on all devices. Every smartphone, tablet, computer, server, and smart TV sold would be forced to include the apps.

Why would you force aps on to devices? According to those attempting to get the bill passed, "the bill will protect the interests of Russian Internet companies and will reduce the abuse by large foreign companies, working in the field of information technology." How true that is depends on which apps will become mandatory, but we don't know what they are yet. The list of apps would also differ per device type.

It's expected that the bill will pass as it's already been voted for once in the lower house of Parliament. Two more votes are required (one in the lower house, the other in the upper house) before President Putin has a chance to sign it into law. If passed, the bill comes into force on July 1 next year. Any device sold after that without the mandatory apps installed would result in a vendor being fined up to $3,100. Continued failure to include the apps results in a ban, meaning every vendor will include the apps without fail.

This month, Russia activated a version of the internet walled off from the rest of the world and allowing it to disconnect in the event of a cyber attack. If this bill passes, we could see a future in which Russia decides not to interact with the rest of the internet while relying on a collection of apps only local developers maintain.

Further Reading

Mobile Phone Reviews