State media says accusations from Kremlin critics that Max is a spying app are false and that it has fewer permissions to access user data than rivals WhatsApp and Telegram.

Lol. So what? The messages are going to be intercepted and fully accessible by the Kremlin. That's the whole point of this exercise.

Worth adding that Max requires ID verification to sign up

The app is definitely fully encrypted and not reading your messages!

Does this mean HBO needs to change their name again?

is no better than the news about Chat Control

I wonder how bad it is compared to whatsapp.

The amount of steganographic cat memes is growing rapidly on the web.

In Russia app installs you.

WhatsApp with extra steps

Does it come with state mandated AI like WhatsApp?

Russian companies order all new devices to be wiped and installed fresh.

Oh no! 😟 Why do they not just use state trojans and other hidden government spyware like the west? 🤔

No word about it not be allowed to be frozen. You can freeze apps; still there but can't run. Don't even need root for that.

rival to WhatsApp that critics say could be used to track users

What other reason could they possibly have for requiring this?

Lmao joining north korea in having an "encrypted" messenger pre-installed I see.

I didn't read anything beyond post title but this reminds me of how hard WhatsApp was getting ad-time on everything because more than likely the US gov could use it to spy on people even though they've been caught using actual privacy app, Signal.

spyware in

...though state media says it is not a spying app

So it's a spying app, then.

Russia is so late to this game, China didn't even need to force their app (WeChat) on everyone, people just download it themselves out of their own free will (well its mostly social peer pressure, but like its not illegal to refuse installing it), even the Chinese Diaspora overseas are using it.

The CCP literally has control of a microphone inside my house (family members using it), and they willingly installed it on their western phones, like its literally the main reason why they have a smartphone.

And funny enough, my brother said something bad about CCP in the living room (he's the anti-CCP one in my family) while parents are on their phones with Wechat on it. And also they said they (either my mother or father) were planning on visit mainland China like soon with my older brother for some personal matters, and um... yea best of luck lol, hope they don't mind his position of Taiwan.

Also the return trip is gonna be even more crazy. Because that's the US Customs and um.. if y'all have been watching US News... 👀 (And my father is not a US Citizen 👀). But nobody IRL is worried and its just bussiness as usual, they're acting like this is trump v1.0, "not a big dead"... yea... good luck, don't blame me for warning y'all.

if the usa trotted down this path, their app would pay homage to the tansprayed president and be called MaxDonald. there would be an oversized version dubbed the Big Max. they would even target e-readers with the MaxBook Pro.

Yeah - you know why? Because it's been confirmed that messengers like whatsapp, meta are sending data to foreign spying agencies. Cooperating with them.

You know what else? Ukraine already mandates dia app for same shit.

and when telegram founder could be held hostage in France for months - it's hard to trust that platform is it?

Seems legit

So we’re actually there…

Everyone knows that if it's a real spying app that they have to tell you

UK taking notes, this will make phones safer for children right?

russians are good at tech/hacking im sure the layperson can find away to disable it.

My friend over there says they will somehow force its installation even on iPhones.

Only a matter of time before it's renamed to HBO Max

great, what will HBO have to change its name to now?

I wonder which one of our wonderful democratic leader will propose a similar idea making it mandatory to install the app and to allow it to scan absolutely everything that's on our phone, because, you know, 'think about the children' and they need make sure they are able to capture the armies of perverts roaming our streets.