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...The rollout has raised concerns among critics and digital rights groups that Moscow will use Max to surveil its citizens and further cut digital links to the West.

"Any data that passes through this application can be considered to be in the hands of its owner, and in this case, the hands of the Russian state," said Baptiste Robert, CEO of French cybersecurity research firm Predicta Lab.

Launched in 2025 by Russian social media giant VK, Max has been compared to China's WeChat, combining social media and messaging functions with access to government services, a digital ID card system, banking and payments.

It is not officially mandatory, but the authorities are making it clear that life without Max will become increasingly hard.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has touted it as a more "secure" platform that meets the country's demand for "technological sovereignty." ...