VTB allowed the closure of banking in Telegram after consultations with Roskomnadzor

VTB turned to Roskomnadzor for additional clarifications on the use of the Telegram-bank, and is ready, if necessary, to “correct work” in the messenger, the bank said. “Including we will be ready to stop supporting the Telegram-bank,” the credit institution clarifies. Against this background, VTB indicated that it was already carrying out “practical work to launch similar sites” on VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.

VTB announced the launch of the bank in Telegram in January 2023. Banks under severe sanctions are forced to develop new channels of communication with customers against the backdrop of the removal of their applications from the App Store and other sites (for example, the Huawei app store, Play Market). VTB expected that for iOS users the service would become an alternative to the application from the AppStore. By the end of the year, it was assumed that through this service they would provide a full range of banking services. According to the bank, the functionality of the Telegram-bank at the first stage should include viewing the balance of cards and accounts in VTB, transferring money through the SBP, replenishing a mobile phone account. Later it was planned to launch payment by QR code and the ability to generate a QR code, transfers between your accounts, etc.

Today Roskomnadzor listed foreign messengers, the use of which is subject to restrictions from March 1. Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and others are mentioned among them. Since March 1, banks have been prohibited from integrating payment services with such messengers, and structures performing a “state task” are prohibited from transmitting payment and personal information through them. In February, at a meeting of the committees of the Association of Banks of Russia, Deputy Head of Roskomnadzor Milos Wagner explained that the innovations (amendments to the law “On Information” that came into force today) are aimed at eliminating the risks of collecting personal data of customers and their transactions by owners of foreign messengers, as well as minimizing the risks of losing access clients to the services of banks in the event of a unilateral refusal of the owners of such messengers to serve Russian organizations.

Kommersant sent requests to other banks developing banking in messengers.

More details – in the material “Kommersant” “Telegram will be limited in money”.

Olga Sherunkova