Putin wants Russians to use MAX instead of WhatsApp; critics say govt will get access to messages
Russia blocked WhatsApp and launched state-backed MAX as a national “super app,” urging citizens to switch. Critics warn the platform could expand government surveillance and provide authorities access to private data.
WhatsApp banned
Russia banned Meta's WhatsApp completely in the country this month. In a move to push for a state-backed "national messenger", the Putin administration has introduced a new app as an alternative to Mark Zuckerberg's messaging app.
Kremlin's statement
A statement issued by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that WhatsApp was blocked due to "Meta's unwillingness to comply with Russian law." Now, the Russian government has told the citizens to use MAX, a messenger launched in 2025 in Russia. The state-backed app will operate as a universal mobile application or "super app".
Pre-installed on smartphones
While using MAX, users will be able to use the functions of social media, digital ID, electronic signatures and electronic Gosuslugi. As part of Moscow's push for this application, MAX was pre-installed on smartphones sold in the Russian Federation from September 2025 onwards.
'A national messenger'?
"Max is an accessible alternative, a developing messenger, a national messenger. And it is an alternative available on the market for citizens," said Peskov.
Downsides of MAX
But critics have highlighted the downside of the app. With the application containing details ranging from social media profiles to digital signatures, many have stated that a mandatory shift to this application will allow the government to keep track of all activity and monitor its citizens.
'Designed to insert surveillance'
As per the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), MAX is a platform designed to insert surveillance in civic life. "It is a platform designed to insert surveillance into the core of Russian civic life, but it does so in a society without the implicit bargain of prosperity that underpins China’s acceptance of similar tools," wrote Enrique Dans, a senior fellow at CEPA.
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