Kremlin creates powerful new tool to control Russian citizens – Bloomberg
Photo: The Kremlin is creating the Max app to control Russian citizens (Getty Images)
The Kremlin has appointed VK (VKontakte, one of the most popular social platforms in Russia - ed.) as the developer of a national messenger app. This led to the creation of Max, an application that combines messaging, financial services, and access to government services, Bloomberg reports.
According to analysts, the launch of Max provides the Kremlin with tools for large-scale control over citizens’ internet activity. The app does not use end-to-end encryption, making it vulnerable to surveillance.
Digital sovereignty, Chinese-style
Russia has long pursued so-called "digital sovereignty" — a rejection of Western technologies. The Kremlin's model is China, where the entire digital space is under state control.
Max sets a precedent in which a single app becomes "everything at once" — a messenger, a bank, a passport, and a ticket to a festival. This will allow the Kremlin to centralize control over its citizens.
Pushing out foreign platforms
Since 2022, Russia has increased pressure on foreign digital platforms. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X) have been blocked, while access to YouTube and TikTok has been restricted.
In July, authorities recorded a record 2,591 mobile internet shutdowns. The government claims this is to protect against Ukrainian drones, but human rights advocates see it as censorship.
Technology under the control of Gazprom and Putin’s inner circle
Max is being developed by VK, a company fully controlled by the state through Gazprom and affiliated shareholders. VK’s CEO, Vladimir Kiriyenko, is the son of one of Putin’s closest allies.
The majority of VK’s voting shares are controlled by entities linked to Yury Kovalchuk — a banker the US Treasury has described as "Putin’s personal banker." Through VK, the Kremlin gains access to a vast trove of user data.
Abandoning the past and purging the internet
Max is not just a new app but the Kremlin’s attempt to rewrite digital reality. Since 2011, after protests organized via Facebook and VK, the Russian authorities have been systematically cleansing the online space.
In 2019, a law was passed allowing internet traffic to be filtered, and now Moscow can completely isolate the country from the global internet. Experts believe that Max is not a path to digital sovereignty but the destruction of the former internet.
Users are not ready yet
Despite government backing, the Max app is unlikely to become popular quickly. According to analysts, Russians will initially use it only to access government services.
"In the next few years, Russians may download Max, but they won’t use it as their main messenger,” says Sarkis Darbinyan, founder of Roskomsvoboda. However, over time, government pressure could change the situation.
Russian websites were only banned in Ukraine in 2017. A decision by the National Security and Defense Council imposed restrictions on Yandex, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, and several other Russian websites and companies.
