There has been a lot of noise surrounding the upcoming expansion of the voice assistant "Alisa AI" rights on devices of Russian users. However, Yandex hastened to set the record straight, stating that the assistant will not and is not expected to have unlimited access to user data, including banking applications.
Boris Ryutin, head of the security group for "Alisa AI" and Yandex's self-driving transport, emphasized that the capabilities of any assistant on a mobile device are always strictly limited by the operating system's security mechanisms. Access is possible only to the data and functions for which the user has given explicit permission. In essence, "Alisa" does not receive any additional privileges compared to foreign counterparts and remains within the scope of standard functionality.
The essence of the Ministry of Digital Development initiative
The reason for the discussion was an initiative by the Ministry of Digital Development, discussed at the end of August 2026. The ministry is considering the possibility of refining the rules for pre-installing domestic software on devices imported into Russia. The idea is that "Alisa AI" would gain expanded rights on par with other system applications, including access to notifications, authorization, and hardware functions.
The draft resolution, which has already appeared and disappeared from the regulatory acts portal, mentioned that the assistant could become a service with access to system functions and applications. However, Yandex insists: even if "Alisa" is pre-installed, it will not give it carte blanche to read banking information or correspondence. The user will always be able to choose another assistant or even remove the pre-installed software altogether.
Risks of monopolization and security
Analysts and market experts see a double risk in this step. On the one hand, the combination of mandatory pre-installation with the potential expansion of rights could indeed place "Alisa" in a unique position, strengthening Yandex's monopoly in the market. On the other hand, any talk about access to banking applications, where account balances, CVC codes, and passport data are stored, raises legitimate concerns about security.
My view: Yandex's public denials are more of an attempt to defuse tension than a final guarantee. The very framing of the question about expanding rights in the context of mandatory pre-installation creates a dangerous precedent. Even if access is technically limited now, a regulatory framework that allows one player to be granted exclusive capabilities is a step toward monopolizing the digital ecosystem, which in the long term carries risks not only for competition but also for user privacy. This development deserves extremely close attention.