"Russia has a new way to surveil its citizens: a "super app." Made by the Russian tech company VK, the app is called Max, and as of September 1, it's required on every new phone sold in Russia. Max enables users to send messages, talk with one another, share files, and transfer money to and from Russian banks. The Kremlin's ultimate vision for the app is expansive: Citizens will use it to send texts and make"
"By restricting the use of alternative platforms such as WhatsApp, President Vladimir Putin can continue his effort to construct an independent (in his view, "sovereign") Russian digital sphere. And though Russia and China have many differences when it comes to technology, the Kremlin still clearly wants for the kind of device-level surveillance that China has achieved; Max represents a step in that direction, offering Putin a new tool to monitor Russians-and even Ukrainians in Russian-occupied"
Max is a Russian super app developed by VK and required on every new phone sold in Russia starting September 1. The app enables messaging, voice calls, file sharing, and money transfers to and from Russian banks. The Kremlin envisions citizens using Max for communication with schools and for proving identity to government agencies and businesses. The app's expansive functionality prompts comparisons to China's WeChat. The Kremlin seeks an independent Russian digital sphere by restricting alternatives such as WhatsApp. Max also advances device-level surveillance ambitions, offering tools to monitor Russians and Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territories.
Read at The Atlantic
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