Moscow has been urging Russians for several months to install “Max” – a super app that lacks encryption and, according to critics, can be used to track people. It has restricted the use of WhatsApp and Telegram – the two most commonly used messaging apps in the country – and forced government officials, state-owned companies, schools, and government agencies to move their communications to “Max”.
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“Max” is temporarily unavailable for download from the App Store, the app’s developers announced on their platform on Thursday. It disappeared on Wednesday night, the statement said.
Apple has not commented on the situation, and the reasons for the removal are unclear.
Apple and Google have removed dozens of Russian apps from their online stores, including those created by companies sanctioned by Western countries.
Apps already installed on phones in Russia continue to operate, but new users cannot download or update them. Due to the mass removal of apps, a cat-and-mouse game has begun, during which Russian companies, especially banks, release apps disguised as something else – for example, accounting software – and rush to inform their clients to download the new version before it is banned.
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Last year, Russia’s social media giant VK released “Max,” which is compared to China’s messaging app WeChat. It combines social networking and messaging functions with access to government services, a digital ID card system, banking, and payments.
President Vladimir Putin promoted it as a “safer” platform that meets Russia’s need for “technological sovereignty.” Since September, it has been pre-installed on phones and tablets sold in Russia but is not available in the European Union.
“Max” does not use end-to-end encryption, and its terms of use state that user data is stored only on Russian servers.
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