Putin superapp to control internet

President Vladimir Putin is one step closer to a Kremlin-controlled
Russian internet with the recently introduced Max – a multipurpose
mobile app with no end-to-end encryption, making it easy to monitor

Release:
Mar 26, 2025

Max: Universal mobile app, aka
“superapp” (similar to China’s
WeChat platform) – in
beta testing phase*

Electronic
signature

State
information
system

Messaging
system

Digital
ID

Payment
system

INSIDE RUSSIA
OUTSIDE RUSSIA

Owned by
VK (VKontakte), government-
controlled social network –
CEO: Vladimir Kiriyenko,
son of powerful
Putin aid

Banned
Facebook

Banned
X/Twitter

Could
be banned
WhatsApp

Severely
slowed down
YouTube

Could
be banned
VPNs

VPN: Virtual Private Network,
like Surfshark, masks user’s
IP address, making online
activity/location anonymous

Source: Bloomberg
Pictures: Getty, Creative Commons
*As of Aug 7, 2025
© GRAPHIC NEWS