Yandex’s AI assistant could gain expanded permissions on mobile devices, including access to banking apps

Russia’s Digital Development Ministry is weighing new rules for preinstalling Russian services on smartphones, tablets, and other devices, a move that could give Alice AI, the assistant developed by Yandex, expanded permissions on users’ devices.

Alice AI could also gain access to banking apps and other applications that collect sensitive data and store it on their own servers, a source told the Russian business daily Kommersant. The source did not specify what kind of data would be involved.

If the new rules take effect, the source said, Yandex’s AI assistant could become a service “with access rights to user data far greater than any preinstalled app on the list.”

The outlet’s sources stressed that the initiative directly targets similar foreign smart assistants and AI models operating in Russia.

The Digital Development Ministry published a draft resolution for public discussion in early August that would update the existing preinstallation rules, referring to an AI assistant “with access to system functions, applications, notifications, authorization, and hardware capabilities.” The ministry has since pulled the document from its website for revision.

The Digital Development Ministry told Kommersant that the proposed changes “are at the discussion stage with the industry.” Yandex had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Russia has required the preinstallation of Russian software on smartphones, computers, and other electronics since 2021. Alice AI is on the government’s list of mandatory preinstalled apps for 2027.