Max in the crosshairs: experts tested the user tracking function of the application on Android and iPhone devices

Specialists from RKS Global conducted a comprehensive study on surveillance in the Max messenger for Android-based smartphones and iPhones. The results of the analysis showed that at the moment the Max application does not automatically monitor users.

iPhone and Google Pixel devices were used for the study. Before testing, both phones were reset to factory settings and updated to the latest versions of the operating system. The MAX application was installed for the first time from the AppStore and Google Play.

The purpose of the study was to find out exactly what permissions the MAX application requests on users' devices, how it uses these permissions, whether it performs any actions without the consent of users, and how the application interacts with its servers.

The testing lasted two days. On both devices, full permission was initially granted to access everything that the application requested (camera, microphone, contacts, location, calls, files, photos and videos). During this period, experts carefully monitored the actions on the phones and recorded possible anomalies. After two days, all previously granted permissions were revoked, and observation began as to whether the MAX application would re-request access and under what conditions. The application was tested with both Russian IP addresses and geolocation, as well as with IP addresses and location outside of Russia.

Throughout the observation, no illegal access to the camera, location, microphone, notifications, contacts, photos and videos was detected in any of the test configurations. Technically, the application had the ability to collect this data and send it, but experts did not record that this was happening. After revoking permissions, the application did not record attempts to obtain these accesses again through requests or unauthorized.

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