Russia's "Max": a Messenger with Surveillance Ambitions

rnd.de

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Russia is rolling out the national messenger "Max", which is soon to become an integral part of electronic devices. The app could bring with it far-reaching monitoring functions, similar to the Chinese "WeChat". Why this step is disturbing for many citizens and what effects it might have.

Aktuálně.cz

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"It's a big deal because it's supposed to be like China's WeChat, but it's not as widespread as the Russian government would like. It's not replacing traditional communicators yet, only out of compulsion," describes the application Jiří Just, a collaborator of Aktuálně.cz living in Russia. However, he himself does not have it installed, as do most of his acquaintances. "They either call with a VPN or look for alternatives like Google Meet," he e…

zdfheute.de

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As of today, new laws will apply in Russia, which will give the country even more control over online content. A messenger service, which is spying on its subscribers, will also be established.

Česká televize

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Starting Monday, mobile phones and tablets sold in Russia and the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine must include the Max application, which is to become a “state messenger.” Critics call the platform a “digital gulag” that will collect data on users and provide it to government agencies. The introduction of the application will also have an impact on Ukrainian children abducted by Moscow, writes United 24media.

se7en.ws

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Starting from September 1, 2025, all smartphones and tablets sold in Russia must have the domestic messaging platform MAX pre-installed. According to TASS, Samsung has already fulfilled this requirement, and Xiaomi, Honor, Huawei, Tecno and Infinix have stated that they will make every effort to comply. Earlier, it was reported that MAX was on the list of mandatory applications... The post Messenger MAX is required to be pre-installed on smartph…