Four deputies have introduced a bill to the State Duma to prohibit making registration in multifunctional information exchange services the only way to verify identity for receiving public services. Although the messenger is not directly named in the text, it is clear that it refers to the national platform Max. The document was published in the lower house database on April 9.
The explanatory note states that "a number of users encounter a problem when logging into 'Gosuslugi', which is expressed in the inability to choose any other method of identity verification other than using multifunctional information exchange services." In fact, the gosuslugi.ru portal now offers regular two-factor authentication via SMS or QR code, and Max is only advertised as an additional option.
Nevertheless, the deputies insist on a legislative barrier: amendments to Article 7 of the law "On the Organization of the Provision of State and Municipal Services" will directly prohibit requiring mandatory registration in the national messenger.
If the document is adopted, the state will be obliged to provide at least two independent methods of identity verification, which will effectively legalize the preservation of the usual SMS codes and biometrics as an alternative to Max.