Countries are promoting domestic messaging apps to counter popular global rivals.
Tajikistan this week launched the national ORIZ app, targeting Tajik migrants working in Russia, where access is limited to Telegram and WhatsApp. And Indian officials have been promoting a homegrown competitor to the Meta-owned WhatsApp — a juggernaut in the country — as part of the government’s “Made in India” push aimed at bucking US tariffs.
The moves mirror a tech nationalism drive in Russia and Kazakhstan: Moscow ordered its recently launched state-controlled MAX app to be pre-installed on all phones and tablets, part of the Kremlin’s efforts to more tightly control speech and online activity.