Revealed: How Russia Uses 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
TL;DR
- Tens of millions of Russians have been forced to install the 'super-app' Max, developed by the state-entangled company VKontakte.
- Max combines messaging, banking, and government services into a single platform, similar to China's WeChat.
- Research indicates Max has extensive surveillance capabilities, including taking screenshots, accessing data from mini-apps, and potentially injecting code.
- Authorities are pressuring various groups, including public sector employees, students, and teachers, to use Max for communications.
- Despite its promotion, some elite Russians reportedly use Max performatively on secondary devices while relying on other apps for private communication.