The Russian government is moving ahead with a new policy that will require all smartphones and tablets sold in the country to include MAX, its state-developed messaging app, as a default feature. The regulation is set to come into force on September 1.
This mandate will apply to all mobile devices, obligating manufacturers to preinstall both MAX and RuStore, Russia’s homegrown app store. RuStore, which had previously been limited to Android platforms, will now also need to be included on Apple devices such as iPhones and iPads.
MAX is expected to become integrated with various government service platforms.
While the app has faced repeated allegations of being used to surveil users on behalf of state authorities, these claims have been firmly denied in coverage by state media outlets.
This move adds to a growing effort by Russian officials to assert more control over private communication tools. Earlier in the month, the Kremlin imposed restrictions on voice calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, pointing to what it described as a refusal to cooperate in cases tied to fraud and terrorism.
WhatsApp remains the most widely used messaging service in Russia with 97.3 million users. Telegram follows closely with 90.8 million. VK Messenger, run by a company backed by the state, trails far behind with 17.9 million users.
MAX recently announced it had reached 18 million users. On the same day, authorities reported the first arrest of someone who had used the app, describing the case as connected to fraud.
