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Russia Declares Itself a “Digital Superpower” With State-Backed Max Messenger
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Russia has claimed entry into the ranks of the world’s “digital superpowers” following the launch of its state-backed messaging platform, with officials placing the country alongside the United States and China.
As reported by The Moscow Times on April 7, Sergey Boyarsky, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Technology, and Communications, made the statement at the Russian Internet Governance Forum, where he promoted the newly introduced national messenger known as “Max.”
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“I am convinced that the national platform has a great future,” Boyarsky said, adding that he and his colleagues “had a hand” in shaping the service through legislative efforts.
The announcement comes amid tightening controls over foreign digital platforms in Russia, including restrictions on widely used messaging services such as WhatsApp and Telegram, the noutlet reported. Boyarsky defended these measures, framing them as necessary to enforce domestic regulations.
“Imagine domestic cars that stop when requested by a traffic police officer, and foreign cars—beautiful and bright—that follow different rules,” he said. “On the internet, it is necessary to ensure that everyone lives by the same rules.”
He emphasized that platform restrictions should be seen as “forcing compliance with the law,” which requires mandatory user identification via phone numbers, limits on the distribution of prohibited content, and the obligation for messaging services to provide user communications to state authorities upon request.
The push to expand the role of the state-backed platform is also reflected in proposed financial regulations. Russian authorities are drafting legislation that would require banks to verify certain customer transactions through the Max messenger, according to the proposed “Antifraud 2.0” bill currently under review in the State Duma.
If adopted, the rules would mandate confirmation via the government-controlled app for all “significant actions” carried out remotely by clients, although the draft does not clearly define what qualifies as such actions.
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The initiative has drawn criticism from within Russia’s financial sector. The National Financial Market Council described the proposal as “legally excessive and unjustifiably costly” in a letter addressed to the government and the Central Bank.
Banking representatives also warned that requiring verification through a single state platform disregards existing security tools that may offer stronger protection. They further cautioned that the compulsory use of Max could introduce additional information security risks.
At the same time, concerns are growing over how the platform operates for its users. Reports have emerged that individuals using the state-backed messenger Max are being automatically subscribed to pro-war and propaganda channels without their consent, with some unable to remove them.
Complaints began appearing on Russian online forums, including Pikabu, where users said unfamiliar channels had been added to their chat lists without explanation.
One user posted a video showing repeated attempts to unsubscribe from a channel associated with pro-Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov. Despite multiple efforts, the channel continued to reappear, raising questions about user control and the platform’s content distribution practices.
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