MAX, a domestic messenger app, has become the most popular application in the Russian App Store, surpassing competitors such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and VK Video. The app is poised to serve as the foundation for a national communication platform with integrated state services.
Anton Gorelkin, a member of the State Duma's Committee on Information Policy, IT, and Communications, has stated that WhatsApp should "prepare to exit the Russian market." According to Gorelkin, the app is likely to be included in a forthcoming list of foreign software subject to restrictions.
"WhatsApp remains the most widely used messenger in Russia, with 68% of citizens using it daily. Telegram comes second with 55%," Gorelkin noted, "but the case with Telegram is different."
Gorelkin pointed out that Telegram, registered in the British Virgin Islands and headquartered in the UAE, is currently associated only with "friendly jurisdictions." As long as it complies with Russian law and shows willingness to remain on the market, Telegram will likely avoid sanctions, he added.
Addressing the potential vacuum left by WhatsApp’s exit, Gorelkin suggested that MAX, as a "national" messenger, could take its place. His comments come as the Russian government prepares to implement new restrictions on foreign software, following a directive from President Putin.
According to official documents, by September 1, proposals are expected on introducing "additional restrictions on the use of software in Russia (including communication services) developed in unfriendly foreign countries."
