With MAX, a new state-mandated messaging app, Russia aims to replicate China’s tightly monitored WeChat system.
Russia is intensifying efforts to clamp down on digital freedom by advancing plans for a state-controlled internet. President Vladimir Putin signed new laws last week targeting VPN services and expanding online censorship, while the Kremlin introduced a mandatory messaging app, MAX, set to come preinstalled on all smartphones next month.
Authorities are cracking down on workarounds Russians use to access foreign platforms like YouTube and WhatsApp. “The goal here is absolute control,” said Anastasiia Kruope of Human Rights Watch, adding that while Russia’s digital surveillance is imperfect, it is rapidly improving.
The Kremlin is also replicating China’s WeChat model, requiring government services to run through MAX. “You need to bring it into daily life to the extent you can’t avoid it,” said analyst Philipp Dietrich.
Meanwhile, VPN use is under attack. Russia has blocked nearly 200 VPNs and now bans VPN advertisements. “Now the tactic is to block them, kill them, and provide an alternative,” said Russian tech journalist Andrey Zakharov. He added that censorship efforts, while aggressive, often suffer from poor execution. Still, rights groups warn that the Kremlin’s push is eroding a once-vibrant online space and silencing dissent.