What just happened? Russia has mandated that all mobile phones and tablets sold in the country come preinstalled with Max, a state-backed messaging app widely seen as a government surveillance tool. The move comes just a week after the country began restricting WhatsApp and Telegram features, punishing the app operators for refusing to hand over user data.
Max will replace a standalone messaging app made by Russian tech giant VK, which has been a piece of mandatory preinstalled software on devices since 2023, writes The Moscow Times. Russia has required smartphones, tablets, and computers to carry domestic software since 2021, a law that critics see as an effort to curb online freedoms and monitor citizens' activities.
Russia has been fighting foreign messaging services and pushing domestic equivalents for years, often using the argument that its citizens' user data must be stored in Russia. The campaign has ramped up since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022; the government repeatedly claims Ukraine uses Telegram to recruit people and commit acts of terrorism in Russia.
Max, which will be integrated with government services, will be added to the list of mandatory preinstalled apps on September 1. On the same date, RuStore, Russia's domestic app store, must be preinstalled on all Apple devices – it is already preinstalled on all Android devices.
The Kremlin recently ordered government officials and lawmakers to migrate their Telegram channels to Max. It came after Roskomnadzor, Russia's media and internet regulator, said that "in order to counteract criminals," measures were being taken to restrict voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram. Russia accused the apps of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.
The government reportedly decided to stop short of immediately blocking WhatsApp and Telegram and start by banning voice calls – they barely function on Telegram and are plagued by buzzing and distorted audio on WhatsApp. The apps have combined user base of almost 200 million people in Russia.
Roskomnadzor said the voice functions will be restored after the apps start complying with Russian legislation. That's extremely unlikely to happen, so an outright ban could be the next step.
Russia's authorities say tightening control over its citizens' online activities is necessary to prevent terrorism and protect children, but opponents say the reality has little to do with protecting people.