UrBC, Yekaterinburg, September 21, 2018. Russia’s Communications Ministry suggested that all the computers that get imported to Russia should have Russian anti-virus software preinstalled on them beginning from August 1, 2020, Kommesant reports.

The proposal is laid out in the government’s Digital Economy National Project. The ministry explains the initiative has to do with ‘national security issues’.

‘The WTO regulations allow a country to go through with similar measures for reasons of national security. Moreover, these steps can be taken regardless of where the PC comes from, and can also apply to Russian manufacturers who export their computers abroad. Given the digital technologies’ current booming development, taking these measures makes sense,’ the Economic Development Ministry says in its turn.