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Kremlin spokesman says Russia’s state-backed messenger Max needs competition from Telegram and WhatsApp
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Telegram and WhatsApp should stay active in Russia to provide real competition for the homegrown Max messenger, which the Russian authorities are promoting as a “national” alternative. “Without competition, Max won’t be able to develop,” he told state outlet TASS during remarks at the Eastern Economic Forum.
Max, backed by state tech firm VK, is Russia’s answer to Western chat apps. The push comes as the government clamps down on rival platforms. In August, federal communications regulators began to restrict calls on Telegram and WhatsApp, citing their use in scams and terrorism. As outages affected those services, Google Meet quickly rose to the top of Russia’s app download charts, though users have faced connectivity issues since late August as well.
Russia has repeatedly tightened its grip on the online sphere since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Max, which debuted in March 2025, is now preinstalled as required software on nearly all new devices sold in Russia.
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