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    La Russia ordina l’installazione dell’app Max Messenger sostenuta dallo stato, potrebbe essere utilizzata per spiare gli utenti

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    1. hideo_kuze_ on

      Meanwhile in Europe:

      ChatControl: /r/europe/comments/1mq5vu1/the_october_vote_is_approaching_and_chat_control/

      ProtectEU: /r/europe/comments/1k1fvdx/weakening_encryption_would_make_european_security/

      Digital Services Act: /r/europe/comments/1i5otkk/eu_hate_speech_guidelines_get_folded_into_the/

      The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

      We are building the chains that will enslave us.

      In the end we’ll end up with the same freedoms and rights than totalitarian states.

    4. PozitronCZ on

      Every app can be disabled through ADB – even the system ones. The real question is if the Russian government will be doing checks if the app is actually running on all devices.

    8. Any-Original-6113 on

      I think everyone in Russia understands that the app will monitor all their phone activities.
      It’s likely that in the future, the app will be impossible to uninstall.
      Considering that many people have verification keys installed on their phones, this will put all user activities under complete control.
      AI’es algorithms will easily identify dissatisfied individuals, and the authorities will selectively punish all potential dissidents.
      It’s a digital ghetto. Beginning .

    9. Mulster_ on

      Could be? It is used, it has more access to your phone than google apps😭

    10. dat_9600gt_user on

      **Critics say Max, a WhatsApp rival, could be used to track users, though state media says it is not a spying app**

      A [Russian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia) state-backed messenger application called Max, a rival to [WhatsApp](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/whatsapp) that critics say could be used to track users, must be pre-installed on all mobile phones and tablets bought in the country starting next month, the Russian government said on Thursday.

      The decision to promote Max comes as Moscow, locked in a standoff with the west over Ukraine, is seeking greater control over the internet. The Kremlin said in a statement that Max, which will be integrated with government services, would be on a list of mandatory pre-installed apps on all “gadgets”, including mobile phones and tablets, sold in [Russia](https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia) from 1 September. The firm behind Max said this week that 18 million users had downloaded its app, parts of which are still in a testing phase.

      State media says accusations from Kremlin critics that Max is a spying app are false and that it has fewer permissions to access user data than rivals WhatsApp and [Telegram](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/telegram).

      It will also be mandatory from 1 September for Russia’s domestic app store, RuStore, which is pre-installed on all Android devices, to be pre-installed on Apple devices. A Russian-language TV app called Lime HD TV, which allows people to watch state TV channels free of charge, will be pre-installed on all smart TVs sold in [Russia](https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia) from 1 January.

      The push to promote homegrown apps comes after Russia said this month it had [started restricting some calls on WhatsApp](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/13/russia-clamps-down-on-whatsapp-and-telegram-over-data-sharing), owned by [Meta Platforms](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/meta), and on Telegram, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.

      WhatsApp, which in July had a reach of 97.3 million users in Russia, responded by accusing Moscow of trying to block Russians from accessing secure communications, while [Telegram](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/telegram), which had a reach of 90.8 million users, said it actively combats the harmful use of its platform.

      The third most popular messenger app in July, according to Mediascope data, was VK Messenger, at 17.9 million users, an offering from the same state-controlled tech company VK which developed Max.

      Russia’s interior ministry said on Wednesday that Max was safer than foreign rivals, but that it had arrested a suspect in the first fraud case using the new messenger.

    15. nem_erdekel on

      Came here to mention Chat Control in the EU but I’ve seen others did before me.

    17. Dacadey on

      Russian here.

      From what we have seen, the likely idea behind this chat is to create the Russian version of the Chinese WeChat – a national messenger with a lot of services integrated that wouldn’t allow you to use anything else.

      If you look at the timeline, we had [a sudden restriction on Whatsapp and Telegram calls](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/13/russia-clamps-down-on-whatsapp-and-telegram-over-data-sharing), which purely by chance coincided with a lot of Max messenger advertising from various influencers, the messenger itself getting 4.5 reviews on Play Store and Apple Store despite almost every single review being a well-deserved one star for spyware, and so on.

      Does it spy on you and collect data? Definitely to the same extent as Telegram / Whatsapp, with unconfirmed reports of even more, like taking random screenshots and using the mic and camera when you are not using the app.

      The bigger problem is that a few regions are introducing a pilot program where school chats would be relocated to the Max Messenger. So essentially, even if you knew about it being spyware, you wouldn’t be able to dodge using it as it would likely be necessary to use it for your child’s school attendance, homework, parent chats and so on.

    19. Traditional_Ad2850 on

      I don’t know what’s app and especially telegram is a though nut to crack I have it installed but I don’t see anyone of my Russia friends use it.
      Only contact I have are shops commercial numbers.

    21. Cyzax007 on

      ‘Could be used’???
      If anything is certain, it is that it will….

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