Russia claimed to have attracted 140 million users to the Max spy messenger
One and a half years after its launch, the number of registered users of the Russian state-run messaging app Max reportedly reached 140 million, out of a total population of 146 million in the Russian Federation. This is evidenced by the financial reports of the platform’s developer—the VK holding company led by Vladimir Kirienko, the son of the deputy head of the Russian presidential administration.
According to the company, the app’s monthly active user base exceeded 109 million, while daily active users reached 90 million. More than 11.5 million registrations come from foreign users, mostly from CIS countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan).
At the same time, independent cybersecurity experts and researchers describe Max as a tool for mass surveillance by Russian intelligence agencies. According to Mikhail Klimarev, head of the “Internet Protection Society,” the service’s privacy policy provides for the direct transfer of data upon request by the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the tax service, and the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. An analysis of the app’s code confirmed that Max is capable of tracking running processes on a device, collecting geolocation data and a list of installed apps, recording keystrokes, and capturing audio and video. In late September, a clause was added to the privacy policy regarding the tracking of users’ content views, reactions, likes, and comments.
Source: The Moscow Times.
Russian authorities continue to promote the state-backed messaging app Max. Starting in August, users will be able to use its core features for free without using up their mobile data allowance. The service signed an agreement to this effect with the four largest mobile operators in the Russian Federation.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the Russian Federation has opened an antitrust case against Apple. The reason was Apple’s failure to comply with the requirement to pre-install the Russian app store RuStore and the spyware-laden messaging app Max on iOS devices.
