Russia to mandate state-backed digital ID app on all new devices starting September

Starting this September, Russia will enforce the mandatory installation of a centralized government-developed app on all smartphones, tablets, and electronic devices sold within the country.

This “all-in-one” platform—set to be developed by a domestic company like VKontakte, Russia’s state-connected social media giant—is not just a convenience app. It’s a digital Trojan horse. It will consolidate digital ID, payments, messaging, access to public services, and even travel authorizations into one controlled ecosystem. You’ll be using this app to check into hotels, verify your identity, sign documents, and access social benefits. No physical ID. No bank card. Just the device—and the app—that the state fully controls.

Now folks… if you’ve been watching Mike in the Night since 2017, you already know where this is going.

🔧 Mike in the Night: Ties to Past Episodes
Back in Episode #138 (2017), we talked about the dangers of biometric centralization and how Western governments were quietly testing digital ID programs behind the scenes.

Episode #244 (2019): I warned you about China's WeChat being used not just as a tool for communication and payments, but as a digital surveillance and censorship system.

In Episode #311 (2020), we covered India’s Aadhaar system, a biometric registry used for everything from welfare to voting—now being mimicked by Western democracies.

And remember Episode #498 (early 2022)? Right after the Ukraine invasion, I said that the Russian exodus from Western tech would lead to state-controlled digital isolation. Boom—here we are.

🕵️‍♂️ The Real Agenda: Digital Control, Not Convenience
The Kremlin is selling this as a modernization project, promising ease of access, digital efficiency, and "digital sovereignty." But sovereignty for who?

When you consolidate identity, finance, communications, and public services into one app, you don’t just centralize convenience—you centralize surveillance. You centralize obedience. You create a social credit test-bed that makes it easy to reward or punish behavior at the flick of a switch.

And Russia’s not alone—this mirrors global moves:

The UK’s “Digital Wallet” rolling out this summer.

The EU Digital Identity Framework (eIDAS 2.0) slated for 2026.

Canada testing vaccine passport apps as precursors to full digital ID.

🧠 You Were Warned... and They Called Us Crazy
They called us nuts in 2018 when we said:

"One day, your phone will be your passport, your license, your credit card, and your speech monitor."

But here it is. Russia's doing it by law. No opt-out.

🧱 Digital Iron Curtain
What we’re seeing is the construction of a digital iron curtain—a system where every citizen is tethered to the state via their devices. And unlike older surveillance, this isn’t just watching you—it’s predicting, influencing, and controlling you.

With VKontakte’s deep state ties and content monitoring infrastructure, critics like Meduza and Reclaim the Net have good reason to compare this app to WeChat—but more aggressive and mandatory. The future of freedom isn't being killed by bullets—it's being coded into your operating system.

📢 Final Word (Mike in the Night Style)
This isn't conspiracy—this is confirmation. And as I’ve said time and time again:

“Once your digital ID is tied to your finances, your mobility, your speech, and your health records, your freedom is no longer a right—it’s a permission.”

So ask yourself: Which country is next?
Because this isn’t just Russia’s problem—this is a beta test for the world.