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Russian State Messenger MAX Reportedly Auto-Subscribes Users to Pro-War Channels
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Users of Russia’s state-backed messaging platform MAX have reported being automatically subscribed to pro-war and propaganda channels without their consent, with some saying they are unable to unsubscribe.
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According to Meduza on March 18, complaints began circulating on the Russian online forum Pikabu, where users described unexplained subscriptions appearing in their chat lists.
One user shared a video demonstrating repeated attempts to leave a channel linked to pro-Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, but the channel remained visible despite multiple efforts to unsubscribe.
Other Pikabu users reported similar experiences, stating that numerous unfamiliar channels had appeared in their accounts, particularly in the desktop version of the app. Several users said attempts to unsubscribe were unsuccessful, with some claiming the platform either re-subscribed them automatically or failed to process the request.
One user wrote: “I was subscribed to a bunch of spam channels. I can’t unsubscribe! They just subscribe me again. And there’s no ‘report’ button.” Another user reported that the application froze while attempting to leave a channel.
MAX, launched in 2025, is a Russian state-developed messaging platform. According to Meduza, its rollout has coincided with increasing restrictions by Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor on competing platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
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The platform has also been actively promoted in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea. Ukrainian activist group Yellow Ribbon has previously warned that MAX may function as surveillance software, citing its reported access to microphones, cameras, contacts, geolocation data, and personal files.
The ownership structure behind MAX is linked to business networks associated with Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s relatives. The platform is operated by VK, whose key shareholder Sogaz includes stakes held by Mikhail Shelomov—identified as Putin’s cousin’s son—placing the messenger within a broader system of Kremlin-connected corporate control over Russia’s technology sector. The platform has also been actively promoted in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea.
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-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")