Revealed: How Russia use mobile ‘super-app’ Max to spy on its citizens
Russian authorities have mandated the use of 'Max,' a super-app that integrates messaging, banking, and government services, which researchers describe as a tool for state surveillance. The app functions as a backdoor, allowing the government to monitor user data and exert digital control over the population.
Why it matters
The rise of state-controlled super-apps represents a significant evolution in digital authoritarianism and the erosion of online privacy.
Max is a product of VKontakte, a social media company deeply entangled with the Russian state./Getty Images Max is a product of VKontakte, a social media company deeply entangled with the Russian state./Getty Images Russia Revealed: How Russia use mobile ‘super-app’ Max to spy on its citizens Research shows tens of millions of people are being forced to use platform that amounts to ‘backdoor’ on their device
Prefer the Guardian on Google Over the past 18 months, tens of millions of Russians have been forced to install a new app on their phones – a violet-blue button designed for messaging and payments, called Max.
Authorities have touted it as a patriotic alternative to Telegram and WhatsApp; Russian glitterati have promoted it in rap videos and comic routines. This summer, it became the country’s most-used messaging app.
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