Kremlin tightens internet control: new smartphones in Russia to be required to install MAX messenger
Illustrative photo: Russia to mandate installation of MAX messenger on new smartphones (GettyImages)
Russia continues to restrict internet freedom. The Kremlin is intensifying efforts to establish strict state control over the internet by limiting access to foreign services and promoting domestic digital products, according to The New York Times.
According to the outlet, Vladimir Putin recently signed laws that make it more difficult to use VPNs and access foreign platforms. Russia is also preparing to launch a new state-run messenger called MAX, which will become mandatory on all new smartphones starting next month.
Media reports indicate that the goal is to push Russians out of the open internet into a controlled digital environment. The Kremlin envisions MAX as a Russian equivalent of China’s WeChat, combining messaging, payments, government services, and education. Teachers are already being required to use it in schools.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch experts believe the Kremlin aims not just to control content but to fully isolate the Russian internet following the Chinese model. These efforts have intensified since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Despite bans on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and pressure on YouTube, Telegram, and WhatsApp, this new wave of digital centralization shows the Kremlin’s drive to dominate the entire online space, including content, data routes, and user behavior.
Experts say the success of this plan depends on how seamlessly the MAX platform integrates into Russians’ daily lives and whether it can replace widely used services.
Earlier, we reported that Putin had ordered the government to assert control over foreign messengers, including WhatsApp and Telegram (despite its Russian origins). He instructed officials to develop restrictions on foreign software, including messaging apps from so-called "unfriendly countries," by September 1, 2025.
