Russia's Digital Development Ministry is discussing new rules for preinstalling Russian services on smartphones, Kommersant reported, citing sources. Under the proposal, Yandex's Alice AI assistant could gain expanded rights to system functions, apps, notifications and device hardware.
The newspaper's sources said the assistant could interact with banking apps and other services that collect sensitive data, and store the information on Yandex's servers. The specific data involved was not disclosed. One Kommersant source noted that if adopted, Alice AI could become a service "with user data access rights far exceeding those of any preinstalled app on the list."
The changes could affect not only smartphones and tablets but also smart speakers, including those with Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant. In early August, the ministry published a draft decree updating current rules, but later removed it for revision. The ministry said the initiative is "at the discussion stage with the industry," Kommersant reported. Yandex declined to comment.
The ministry said the measure aims to "eliminate the advantages of manufacturers' built-in solutions." According to The Moscow Times, a ministry representative stressed that "the rules should ensure equal conditions for integrating and developing domestic AI technologies on devices." Kommersant's sources, however, said the initiative targets restricting foreign smart assistants and AI models in Russia.
A law mandating preinstallation of Russian software on mobile devices has been in effect since 2021. A government-approved list from July 2026 includes Yandex Browser, Yandex Maps, 2GIS, Mail.ru's Pochta app and the state messenger Max.
Anton Guskov, a representative of the Russian Association of Electronics and Appliance Manufacturers (RATEK), warned that preinstalling Yandex's AI assistant on all devices could monopolize Russia's market. To preserve competition, he said, the regulator must ensure equal access to system interfaces for all key Russian players.