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 for all “gadgets” sold in the country.
“From September 1, the Max digital platform will be included in the list of programs required for pre-installation on electronic devices in 2025,” the Kremlin said on Thursday. “The order to this effect was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.”
“Max is expected to serve as a multifunctional information exchange service, offering secure messaging and convenient digital services from both government and business,” the announcement continued.
Russian officials are already being instructed to transfer their public accounts from applications such as Telegram to the Max platform.
Russian news outlet Interfax reported earlier this month that foreign messaging apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp will be at least partially restricted by government agencies, ostensibly due to security concerns.
“In order to counteract criminals … measures are being taken to partially restrict calls on these foreign messengers,” communications regulatory group Roskomnadzor said, according to Interfax. “No other restrictions have been imposed on their functionality.”
An earlier report from Reuters this month claimed reporters have verified that voice calling capabilities on WhatsApp, an international messaging and phone app run by Meta, have at times “barely functioned” due to ambient noise that disrupts the ability to hear.
Meta, an American titan of tech and social media, was previously branded as an “extremist” organization by the Russian government on the grounds of promoting “Russophobia.”
The State Duma, Russia’s legislature, has already announced that it will exclusively use Max for social media communications.
Max’s adoption by government officials and the suppression of alternative messaging apps indicate that Russian officials seek to insulate the nation’s digital ecosystem from foreign influence. However, the government continues to operate accounts on major international platforms such as X.
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Critics say the strategy will create ample opportunity for the government to monitor users’ private conversations and suppress dissident movements.
Such a paradigm has already been observed in nations such as China, where state censors actively police online platforms and suppress user expression, often even banning specific phrases thought to be code for anti-Communist Party sentiment.
