Urged to Install 'This App' Instead of Telegram… Controversy Over Surveillance of Russian Citizens

Allegations have emerged that Russia has been monitoring its own citizens by inducing them to install an application that can act as a sort of backdoor on their mobile phones.

The British daily The Guardian reported that Russians have been pressured to install an app named "Max" on their smartphones over the past 18 months.

According to The Guardian, tens of millions of people, including Russian state agencies, public officials, public sector workers, university students, teachers, and elementary school students, have faced all-around pressure to install the Max app.

Max is a so-called "super app" that combines a messenger, government services, and payment functions.

As Russian authorities heavily promoted it as a replacement for Telegram and WhatsApp, it emerged as the most widely used messenger in Russia starting this summer.

Max was created by VKontakte, a social media company with close ties to the Russian government, and The Guardian reported that President Vladimir Putin is also known to indirectly hold a stake in the app.

A research team led by Professor Roya Ensafi at the University of Michigan analyzed that the various functions installed in this app correspond to a type of backdoor.

A backdoor refers to a hidden bypass established to enter a system without going through normal authentication and access procedures.

According to The Guardian, when the researchers downloaded and analyzed the version of the app actually used in Russia, they confirmed that Max can capture mobile phone screens without user consent.

In addition, it could unauthorizedly access information, messages, and payment history stored in the app, and could even impersonate the user without their knowledge.

In particular, code could be injected, and the research team pointed out that this suggests the Russian government could utilize it to launch cyberattacks.

Professor Ensafi said, "I have studied the trend of tightened internet control in Russia over the past 10 years," adding, "What Max provides is the most sophisticated yet terrifying tactic an authoritarian government can use to surveil its own citizens."

She added that other countries such as Iran, Kazakhstan, and India are also likely to attempt similar methods.

However, concerns that Max may be utilized for surveillance are reportedly widespread even within Russia.

According to The Guardian, the Russian elite still prefer Telegram or Signal over Max for their daily communications.

Some government officials have even prepared separate mobile phones just to install Max.

A consultant living in Moscow said, "When using Max, it feels like someone might be watching."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.