Surveillance tool or accessible messenger? All we know about MAX, Russia’s alternative after WhatsApp fully blocked

After fully blocking Meta’s WhatsApp in Russia, the Putin administration has moved to push a state-backed ‘national messenger’. This decision comes after Russia blocked WhatsApp for failing to comply with local laws.

In an official statement, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that WhatsApp was blocked due to “Meta’s unwillingness to comply with Russian law.”