The Max messenger, developed by VK holding, has attracted attention due to its integration with the "Gosuslugi" platform and the "Sferum" educational environment. Users will be able to pay fines, order taxis, or receive notifications about documents in the "Gosklyuch" application directly in the messenger.
According to Alexander Khaminsky, this functionality speeds up the execution of routine tasks. However, he noted that the application collects IP addresses, location data, and user activity data, and the privacy policy allows the transfer of information to government agencies.
The application collects IP addresses, location data, and user activity, and its policy allows the transfer of this information to government agencies. End-to-end encryption, unlike WhatsApp or Signal, has not yet been implemented.
On July 30, the Ministry of Digital Development reported that Max will not be mandatory for signing electronic documents — this function is performed by "Gosklyuch". Nevertheless, the messenger will be able to notify about new documents received for signing. The service is being developed within the framework of the law adopted by the State Duma on June 10. From September 1, 2025, all new smartphones and tablets in Russia must be delivered with a pre-installed Russian messenger.
The service also promises protection against fraud and the possibility of using an electronic signature. The head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Maksut Shadayev, noted that the project is not funded from the budget, but the developer can count on preferential loans. Uniqueness and security should distinguish Max among competitors such as Telegram or WhatsApp. However, the lack of end-to-end encryption and data collection may scare away users who value privacy.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the United Russia party opened its channel in the Max messenger, which caused outrage from the Communist Party.
