Ban on Western SNS Apps Like WhatsApp
Telegram Also Faces Removal as Government Tightens Control
The Russian government has announced that, starting in September, it will require the installation of the state-certified social networking service (SNS) app MAX on all devices and will remove other SNS apps from the market. Telegram, which had been widely used as Russia's national messenger, is also facing increasing restrictions due to concerns that confidential information could be leaked to Western intelligence agencies. As the Russian government moves to fully control SNS platforms, which have served as a stage for opposition politicians and journalists, under the pretext of wartime security, human rights controversies are intensifying.
Mandatory Pre-Installation of 'MAX' from September... Ban on Other SNS Apps Such as WhatsApp
Starting September 1, the Russian government will require the installation of the state-certified SNS app MAX on all smartphones and is preparing legislation to prohibit public officials from using any SNS other than MAX. The independent Russian media outlet Meduza reported, "The original bill was scheduled to take effect on July 1, but the timeline was pushed back to September due to the need for beta testing and other preparations for the MAX app."
MAX is an SNS messenger developed by VKontakte (VK), Russia's largest SNS group, in March. In May, the Russian government officially designated MAX as a state-certified SNS. Since then, the Russian government has mandated the use of MAX for soldiers, public officials, and school teachers. As a result, even though MAX is still in the beta testing phase, the number of registered users surpassed 2 million as of last month.
The Russian government also plans to block the use of foreign SNS messengers from Western countries in conjunction with the mandatory installation of MAX. The New York Times (NYT) recently reported that the Russian government plans to restrict the use of WhatsApp, the most widely used messenger in Russia with over 90% of Russians using it, starting September 1. WhatsApp is a messenger developed by Meta, the operator of Facebook. Previously, Russian authorities banned the use of Facebook and Instagram starting in 2022, when the war in Ukraine began.
The use of virtual private networks (VPNs), which can bypass the Russian authorities' firewall, is also being restricted. On July 24 (local time), the Russian State Duma passed a bill imposing fines of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles (approximately 50,000 to 80,000 won) for private use of VPNs to access extremist media or internet sites. Advertising VPN services can result in fines of up to 80,000 rubles (about 1.38 million won) for individuals and up to 500,000 rubles (about 8.67 million won) for companies.
The Russian National Messenger 'Telegram' Also No Longer Trusted... Attempt to Replace It with MAX
Sanctions by Russian authorities against Telegram, once called Russia's national messenger, are also intensifying. Authorities have arrested prominent bloggers active on Telegram and blocked their accounts, gradually escalating the level of sanctions.
On July 23 (local time), Russian police detained five staff members, including the editor-in-chief of the Telegram news channel Baza. They were charged with leaking internal police information. This news channel, specializing in crime news within Russia, had more than 1.5 million subscribers.
Earlier, in January last year, a Russian court sentenced Igor Girkin, a prominent military blogger active on Telegram, to four years in prison. A former Russian military veteran, he harshly criticized the Russian military's poor performance in the war in Ukraine and called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "coward" on his Telegram channel, making him a target of the Russian government.
In the early stages of the war in Ukraine, Telegram was actively used by the Russian military for operational orders. However, since August last year, after Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested by French authorities, usage restrictions have intensified. At the time, French authorities arrested Durov on allegations that he had turned a blind eye to various criminal activities on Telegram, including the possession and distribution of child pornography, drug trafficking, and organized crime. He was investigated for five days and then released. However, Russian authorities believe that French and Western intelligence agencies arrested him in an attempt to obtain Russian military operational secrets from within Telegram.
There are concerns that if Russian authorities completely restrict the use of Telegram in the future, the activities of opposition politicians and journalists who have gone into exile outside Russia will be severely curtailed. Mikhail Klimarev, head of the Russian Internet Protection Society, told the NYT, "If the number of MAX users in Russia increases to the point where it can replace Telegram, there is a possibility that Telegram will be completely banned. Telegram is an important channel for Russian politicians and journalists in exile to operate, and if this is blocked, the Russian internet will become very desolate."
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