US EditionRussia Orders State-Backed MAX App Preinstalled on All Phones Starting Sept. 1
The Russian government mandates pre-installation of MAX, a state-backed app with over 18 million downloads, aiming to replace foreign messengers and increase internet control.
- From September 1, 2025, Russia mandates pre-installing the state-backed messaging app MAX and the domestic app store RuStore on all new smartphones and tablets sold in the country.
- These measures come as part of Russia's broader campaign to control the digital information ecosystem and replace foreign platforms with government-supervised alternatives amid tensions with the West and sanctions.
- Starting at the beginning of 2026, all smart televisions sold in Russia will be required to come with the LIME HD TV app preloaded, granting free access to more than 300 state-affiliated Russian TV channels.
- Officials claim these apps enhance security and digital sovereignty, yet independent analysis notes they serve as tools for pervasive surveillance, censorship, and propaganda by embedding state content into daily communications and media consumption.
- The policies effectively create a digital environment where alternatives are outlawed or blocked, privacy is compromised, and government narratives dominate, indicating a significant escalation in Russia's digital authoritarianism.
44 Articles
44 Articles
Colorado Springs Gazette
Kremlin-endorsed social app to come preinstalled on all Russian smartphones
A messaging app endorsed by the Kremlin will be a mandatory preinstallation for smartphones in Russia beginning next month. The Russian government announced on Thursday that Max, an application produced by state-affiliated social media juggernaut VK, will be required software…
Russia is committed to increasing the falsification of school manuals. In addition, it will pre-install a message app on all phones.
Kremlin-backed Max messenger app to be pre-installed on all smartphones sold in Russia
The Russian government will require the state-backed Max messenger app to be pre-installed on all smartphones and tablets sold in the country, in a move that could increase surveillance of Russian citizens.
The Russian government announced on Thursday that Russia's state-backed messaging app MAX, which critics say could be used to track users, will have to be pre-installed on all mobile phones and tablets starting next month.
The government has added a VK mixer to the list of apps required to pre-deposit smartphones and tablets.
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