Russia has just moved a key piece on its digital control board. The government has ordered that all mobile phones and tablets that are marketed in the country They must come with a new pre -installed application: ‘Max’, a messaging service promoted by the State that, according to critics, is designed as a Powerful government surveillance tool.
It coincides with other restrictions. This new measure occurs just a week after the Russian regulator, Roskomnadzor, will begin to restrict voice calls in services as popular as WhatsApp and Telegram, punishing them for Your refusal to deliver data of its users to the authorities.
‘Max’, the forced replacement that is integrated with the government. This new application does not start from zero. It will replace another messaging application developed by the Russian technological giant VK, which was already mandatory since 2023. However, ‘Max’ goes one step further, since it will be integrated directly with government services, further centralizing the communication of citizens through a platform controlled by the Kremlin. And now has achieved 18 million downloads According to official sources.
This measure is part of a law in force since 2021 that forces Smartphone, tablets and computers to include Software of Russian origin. Although the official justification is the protection of citizens’ data, digital rights organizations have been denouncing that the real objective is limit digital freedoms and monitor population activity.
An increased control from the war with Ukraine. The campaign against foreign messaging services have been drastically intensified since 2022. The Russian government repeatedly accuses platforms such as Telegram of being used by Ukraine for Ukraine recruit agents and organize terrorist actors in its territory.
In this way, as part of its strategy, the Kremlin has already ordered officials and legislators to leave their telegram channels and migrate to ‘Max’. All for your own safety. Or they sell it.
The first blow affected WhatsApp and Telegram. Before imposing his new app, Russia had already begun to degrade the experience of competition. Roskomnadzor announced “measures to counteract criminals”, which translated into a Selective restriction of voice calls In WhatsApp and Telegram.
Currently, calls on these platforms barely work, since users in Russia are reporting a dumb -plagued service and distorted audio. It is a subtle, but effective way to make applications less useful and frustrating for its combined base of almost 200 million users in the country.
The regulator has affirmed that functionality will be restored when applications “begin to comply with Russian legislation”, something that is considered extremely unlikely. Therefore, the degradation of the service could only be the prelude to a total blockade.
The ecosystem closes: Rustore mandatory in Apple. The Kremlin plan is not limited to messaging software. The same date that ‘Max’ becomes mandatory, on September 1, another key imposition also enters into force: Rustore, the Russian National Applications Store, It must be pre -installed on all Apple devices. Until now, it was already mandatory on all Android devices sold in the country.
With this movement, Russia ensures not only that your applications are on the devices, but also to control the main software distribution channel, closing the circle of its sovereign digital ecosystem. While the authorities insist that these measures are necessary to prevent terrorism and protect minors, for opponents the reality is another: the construction of a great digital firewall to isolate and monitor their citizens.
It is not the only country that applies limitations. China with the Impossibility of accessing Google services From its territory, it is a clear example of how countries try to Apply controls to your citizens. North Korea is also another example where A unique operating system is imposed and access to technology is extremely controlled.
Images | Igorn
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