MOSCOW, June 24 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir

Putin on Tuesday signed a law authorising the development of a

state-backed messaging app integrated with government services,

as Moscow strives to reduce its dependence on platforms like

WhatsApp and Telegram.

Russia has long sought to establish what it calls digital

sovereignty by promoting home-grown services. Its push to

replace foreign tech platforms became more urgent as some

Western companies pulled out of the Russian market following

Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Russian lawmakers say the state app will have functionality

that the likes of Telegram and Meta Platforms' ( META ) WhatsApp

do not. Critics say the fact that Russia will exercise state

control over it poses risks to privacy and personal freedoms.

Mikhail Klimarev, director of the Internet Protection

Society, a Russian digital rights group, said earlier this month

he expected Russia to slow the speeds of WhatsApp and Telegram

to encourage people to switch over to the new app.