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Russia Bans Telegram, WhatsApp for State-Controlled Max Messenger

8/28/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Russian authorities are blocking Telegram and WhatsApp to promote the state-backed Max messenger.
Scammers predominantly use mobile calls, undermining the justification for the ban.
Max messenger offers limited privacy and is vulnerable to state surveillance, akin to China's WeChat.
Users risk legal consequences for sharing dissenting content, as the app may report them to authorities.

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Story summary

Russian authorities are blocking Telegram and WhatsApp to promote the state-backed Max messenger.
Scammers predominantly use mobile calls, undermining the justification for the ban.
Max messenger offers limited privacy and is vulnerable to state surveillance, akin to China's WeChat.
Users risk legal consequences for sharing dissenting content, as the app may report them to authorities.