According to the official Thursday statement of the Russian government, which CNN refers to, the Max application will be installed on devices from September 1. The Russian Apple App Store – Rustore store – will also be pre -installed on iPhones.
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It was also reported that from January 1, the Lime HD television program, which provides free access to Russian state television channels, will be automatically installed on Smart TV TVs in the country.
The MAX messenger was launched by the VK Social Media Group in March as a VK Messenger replacement, which is on the government list of mandatory applications from 2023.
The new application allows users to send messages, make audio and video calls and send money, and in the future additional functions are planned. They will include the integration of the travel reservation application, said VK in its latest profit report.
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About 18 million people have registered in Max since its launch, this week the Russian state information service TASS said.
Max is similar to the huge successes of the Chinese Wechat application, which gives users the opportunity to send messages, publish on social media, and make payments and reservations.
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At the same time, Russia has taken steps to limit the use of some foreign messages.
Russia has already banned the use of Facebook, Instagram and “X”. At the beginning of this month, the national regulatory authority for media announced restrictions on voice connections via WhatsApp and Telegram “to combat criminals.”
WhatsApp, in turn, accused Russia of trying to block access to applications for 100 million Russian users.
Unlike Max, WhatsApp and Telegram, they provide end-to-end encryption, preventing the third parties from accessing user data.
