Russia’s digital gulag: Why and how the Kremlin is spying on its citizens

Russia launches an app that could spy on its citizens

Starting in two months, all mobile phones in Russia will come pre-installed with a new messaging app called Max, featuring a blue and white logo. However, experts warn the app could potentially enable Kremlin surveillance of the Russian public, according to a report by The Independent.

The app, developed by Russian tech company VK, is set to be pre-installed on all Russian devices starting September. There are growing concerns that it could function as a “spy program,” enabling the FSB security service to implement a strict surveillance system.

Analysts told The Independent that the app will go beyond messaging and video calls, serving as a broader information platform with access to government services and mobile payments.

WhatsApp, currently used by over 70% of Russians, is “highly likely” to face a ban as the Kremlin promotes the adoption of the new Max app, according to Mark Galeotti, a long-time expert on Russian security and director of Mayak Intelligence, speaking to The Independent.

Russian opposition journalist Andrey Okun said Max could help fulfill the Kremlin’s ambition of creating a “digital gulag.” "This will be a sterile space in which the authorities have complete control over the leisure time, motives and thoughts of citizens," he said.

Experts in Russia believe the app, developed under the orders of President Vladimir Putin, is the latest move in the Kremlin’s broader effort to monitor and control the entire Russian digital space.

"This is a normalisation of Russia's surveillance of its internet use... it's part of a long, long process," Keir Giles, author of Russia's War on Everybody, told The Independent.

"The perceived threat from Western communications technology is not something that's new. It's something that has always been a focus for the Russian security services," he added.

Giles noted that Russia’s security agencies have long been frustrated by citizens relying on foreign platforms like Google, Skype, and Hotmail, which complicate surveillance efforts.

He added that Western communication tools have consistently been seen as a threat by Russian security services. “So after years of trying to clamp down on services such as WhatsApp, the latest move to push Russians towards Max is really just tidying up at this point,” he said.