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Panel at U.S. Helsinki Commission: Russia's "Max" super app enables broad surveillance and risks export of a new censorship model
Summary
Panelists at a U.S. Helsinki Commission briefing warned that Russia's Max app collects wide-ranging user data, is being promoted through legal and technical pressure, has been preinstalled on new phones in Russia, and could be exported to neighboring countries; panelists urged funding for circumvention tools and stronger corporate policies.
At a briefing hosted by the U.S. Helsinki Commission, panelists warned that Max, a Russian "super app" developed by VK, is being deployed as a tool of state surveillance that could reshape how citizens access information and be exported beyond Russia.
Alana, director with the U.S. Helsinki Commission, opened the session by describing visits to occupied Ukrainian territories where civil-society groups reported repeated device inspections, propaganda campaigns and severe information controls. Anastasia Gimont of AccessNow said Max is "not merely [to] record user messages and metadata" but instead aggregates personal identifiers, usage data and precise location information and "can report your real time movements" if location permissions are granted. She added that Max reportedly can perform more invasive operations, including remotely enabling microphones, cameras or screen recording.
Laura Cunningham, president of the Open Technology Fund, framed Max as part of a broader "lock net" approach to information…
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