Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian government to develop measures by September 1 to restrict the use of foreign software in the aggressor country. This primarily concerns messengers developed in "unfriendly countries." Russian officials have been ordered to switch to Max, which is controlled by Russian special services.
Points of attention
- Ukrainian intelligence has uncovered details of Putin's decision, signaling potential implications for the privacy and security of messenger users in Russia.
- The development of the Max messenger raises concerns about its extensive access to user data, including microphone, camera, contacts, and files, with potential implications for privacy and security.
Putin is increasingly restricting Russia's information field
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine learned about the new decision of the illegitimate president of Russia.
She draws attention to the fact that WhatsApp, owned by the Meta company, has this time found itself in the spotlight of the Kremlin.
As the SZR notes, this makes it one of the prime candidates for potential blocking.
The situation with Telegram is also ambiguous: although the messenger is of Russian origin, its supposedly "independent" position and refusal to cooperate with the authorities make its status uncertain, the statement says.
What is important to understand is that official Moscow has already created a new element of the centralized digital surveillance system — the Max messenger from VK.
Against this background, all Russian officials were ordered to switch to Max.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, this application has full access to the microphone, camera, contacts, geolocation, and files.
It cannot be disabled by standard means, uses root access and system jar files — signs of malware. Data is automatically transmitted to servers associated with VK, which is controlled by Russian intelligence services.
