Russia Orders Pre-installation Of Messenger App MAX On Phones And Tablets

The Russian government announced on Thursday that the state-backed messaging app MAX must be pre-installed on all smartphones and tablets sold in the country starting September 1.

According to Reuters, the messaging app will be integrated with government services, and all devices must also include RuStore, Russia’s domestic app store, pre-installed, even on Apple products.

Another app, LIME HD TV, a platform that allows citizens to watch local TV channels for free, will be pre-installed on all smart TVs starting on January 1 next year.

The announcement has sparked debate and raised concerns about surveillance and government control over citizens.

MAX, launched in March by the state-controlled social media group VK, competes against similar platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp, which have been recently restricted in Russia. The government banned voice calls last week, claiming the platforms enable fraud and terrorism.

Other foreign social media platforms, such as X, Instagram, and Facebook, are also banned in the country. A few months ago, Russia also fined Google over videos on YouTube encouraging Russian soldiers to surrender.

According to CNN, MAX doesn’t provide end-to-end encryption like WhatsApp and Telegram, increasing the risk of accessing users’ data. The app has been designed to grow and evolve as China’s WeChat super-app, a platform that includes multiple apps and features in one service and is likely under state surveillance.

MAX has over 18 million downloads, while WhatsApp recently reached 96 million monthly users, and Telegram reached 89 million.

Anastasiia Kruope, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, has been reporting on Russia’s bans on foreign social media platforms and websites.

“In today’s Russia, accessing popular foreign websites and social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, is largely impossible without a Virtual Private Network (VPN),” wrote Kruope in a publication shared on July 30 on Human Rights Watch. “This, along with active state-sponsored promotion of Russian alternatives, forced a growing number of users to switch to Russian browsers and social media.”