Russia passes law forcing manufacturers to install Russian-made software

Russia has passed new legislation that will require manufacturers of smartphones, computers, and smart TVs to pre-install Russian-made software on their devices. The bill was approved earlier this year by the lower house of the Russian parliament, and officially signed into law on Monday by President Vladimir Putin, reports Reuters.

Legislators claim that the law, which will come into effect on July 1 2020, will help Russian tech companies be more competitive with their western counterparts, and will offer consumers the “right to choose” domestically-produced alternatives.

The law comes as Russia is exerting increasing amounts of control over its digital infrastructure. At the beginning of November, the country’s so-called “sovereign...

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