Russian officials are wary of the Max messaging app and use separate phones
Russian officials, lawmakers, and top executives of state-owned companies do not trust the "national" messaging app Max and use separate phones and SIM cards for it.
This is reported by The Moscow Times, citing sources from Faridaily.
According to sources in the government and state-owned companies, installing this app raises concerns about data security.
“Everyone believes that if you install Max on your phone, it’s the same as handing it over to the FSB,” noted a source close to the government.
Some officials register for the messenger using their primary phone numbers but use separate smartphones, unofficially referred to as “Maxphones.” The most cautious also do not sync contacts between their personal devices and phones with Max installed.
At the same time, most officials do not want to give up Telegram and continue to use it for communication.
“No one wants to leave Telegram. Everyone is hoping that Pavel Durov will come up with something,” noted a source from one of the federal agencies.
As a reminder, is it possible to block Telegram in Ukraine, and does it make sense to do so?
Telegram has also rolled out a major update with a range of new features for regular users and Premium subscribers.
