Government officials are being required to switch to the “state messenger” app, Max. It was previously reported that documents requiring digital signatures will now be processed exclusively through this app. It has also been decided to migrate school chat groups in several regions to the national messenger app.
If MAX is a corporate tool or has been forced on you as the “official” messaging app—then it’s no longer a matter of privacy, but of survival in the wild. The only thing that will help here is a second phone, a sandbox, or a virtual machine.
MAX isn't just a messaging app—it's a surveillance tool. It can transmit data to the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Roskomnadzor, or someone else. It contains backdoors, hidden microphone recording, geolocation tracking, and message monitoring.
❌ Don't set MAX unless you have to
If installation isn't required, just forget about this messaging app altogether. It's like voluntarily sticking a listening device to your forehead.
🧼 If installation is required (for work, college, etc.): Use a separate device (an old Android device / a cheap smartphone / a virtual machine on a PC). Uninstall Google Play Services, if possible (to reduce data leakage through system services).
Maximum insulation:
– Disable background activities and autorun;
– Do not grant permissions for the microphone, geolocation, camera, or files;
– Do not enter real data
🕳️ Divide the environment:
MAX ≠ your true self.
For MAX—a separate email address, phone number, contacts, and Wi-Fi.
Never post anything on MAX that you wouldn't want to see on the front page of a newspaper.
🧠 Behavioral protection:
MAX = “I don’t know anything; I’m just saying hello.”
Don't send important information via MAX. Not even if it's encrypted. Not even if it seems harmless at first glance.
Never take a position that could be used against you.
🔇 Block the surveillance:
Wi-Fi isolation: Run it only through an isolated VPN tunnel or a TOR Wi-Fi hotspot.
Appendices NetGuard / TrackerControl (for Android) — prohibit access to the network in accordance with the rules.
Appendices AdGuard DNS / NextDNS — filter out trackers and analytics.
🔐 Technical Protection:
Turn on the VPN Before the launch of MAX.
Do not store sensitive files on the same device as MAX.
Use hardware firewall (for example, through PiHole or a custom DNS server).
🧨 If you're being threatened:
The tips below are useless given the realities in Russia, but let’s say this anyway:
If the MAX requirement is part of a campaign of pressure (from your employer, law enforcement, etc.), seek legal assistance (if you’re in Russia, this could be OVD-Info or human rights advocates; if you’re abroad—digital rights organizations such as Access Now or the EFF).
Keep a log of your activities.
Document the coercion (if possible).
According to media reports, the “government messenger” Max is now required to obtain documents for electronic signatures through “Gosklyuch” and to conduct real estate transactions. All necessary documents will be sent to the messenger app, and from there they will need to be forwarded to “Gosklyuch.” Individuals are also affected: real estate transactions and even the standard SIM card registration will not be possible without the messenger app. At the same time, documents from the “Gosuslugi” portal will continue to be sent directly to “Gosklyuch.” According to experts, the authorities are hoping to increase the number of Max users in this way.
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