Russia Pushes ‘Super-App’ Alternative While Clamping Down on WhatsApp, Expanding Blackouts

Russia is intensifying its internet controls by targeting WhatsApp while promoting a state-backed “super-app” as an alternative. The move comes amid growing internet blackouts and restrictions that critics say are designed to tighten government control over digital communications. The new app is positioned as an all-in-one platform for messaging, payments, and services, raising concerns about surveillance and censorship. Analysts warn the strategy reflects Moscow’s broader push to build a controlled online ecosystem.

MOSCOW — Marina, a 45-year-old freelance copywriter in Tula, has relied on WhatsApp for years to manage her work and personal life. But last month, her calls suddenly stopped connecting. Telegram, another popular app in Russia, didn’t work either.

She was among millions of Russians hit by new restrictions imposed in mid-August by Roskomnadzor, the state media regulator, targeting calls on WhatsApp and Telegram the country’s two most widely used messaging platforms, with roughly 97 million and 90 million monthly users respectively.

The restrictions coincide with the rollout of Max, a new state-approved messaging app created by VK, a tech firm closely tied to the Kremlin through Gazprom and billionaire Yuri Kovalchuk, an ally of President Vladimir Putin. Since Sept. 1, Max has been pre-installed on all devices sold in Russia.

Like China’s WeChat, Max is designed to be a “super-app,” combining messaging with banking, payments, and access to government services. Authorities have promoted it aggressively with celebrity endorsements and mandates that schools and local governments use the platform. In Rostov, Max is being used for emergency alerts, while in St. Petersburg it is linked to local services.

But its privacy policy allows user data to be shared with state bodies, raising concerns about surveillance in a country where private messages have led to criminal prosecutions. Critics warn Max could become another tool for censorship and control.

Despite the government’s push, Max lags far behind its rivals. VK reported 30 million users this week, compared with WhatsApp’s and Telegram’s combined reach of nearly 200 million. Still, avoiding Max is increasingly difficult, as officials pressure institutions and citizens to adopt it.

Authorities argue the crackdown on WhatsApp and Telegram is necessary because the apps refuse to store Russian data locally, as required by law, and because scammers use them. Yet Central Bank figures show most fraud still occurs on regular mobile networks. Experts say the real motivation is political.

“The authorities don’t want us, ordinary people, to maintain any kind of relationships, connections, friendships, or mutual support,” Marina said, asking her name be changed for safety reasons.

The measures are part of a broader digital clampdown. Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has blocked Facebook, Instagram, X, and independent news outlets, leaving access possible only via VPNs. Ads for VPNs are now banned, and while their use is still legal, authorities can cite them as an aggravating factor in criminal cases.

New laws have also expanded the state’s blacklist of “extremist” material. Citizens now face fines for “deliberately searching” online for banned content, which includes works by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison earlier this year, as well as Ukrainian songs.

Meanwhile, mobile internet blackouts have become widespread. Since May, every region of Russia has experienced shutdowns, sometimes affecting dozens of regions at once. Officials claim the outages are needed to disrupt Ukrainian drone attacks, but telecom experts question their effectiveness.

“In many regions there are no air defense systems, no army everything is on the front line,” said telecom analyst Mikhail Klimarev. “So local authorities switch off the internet and claim it helps.”

The outages have disrupted daily life. In the city of Vladimir, two of three districts have been offline for nearly a month. Residents struggle to check bus routes, taxis can’t accept online orders, and fares have soared. In Krasnoyarsk, a city of more than a million, mobile internet vanished for three days in July and remains unreliable.

State media has framed the blackouts as a “digital detox,” airing segments of residents saying they now spend more time walking, reading, or socializing. Critics, however, see the disruptions as part of a long-term plan to create a controlled, China-style internet system.

The government is now testing a scheme that would keep only “essential” online services available during shutdowns banking, food delivery, taxis, and Max. Digital rights advocates warn the plan risks cementing Max as the centerpiece of a tightly controlled online ecosystem.

“Unlike the Chinese, Russians have enjoyed decades of cheap, fast internet and global platforms,” said Sarkis Darbinyan, co-founder of digital rights group RKS Global. “Now the government is trying to erase that.”

For now, workarounds remain. Some people rely on VPNs or alternative apps, while others simply resist. Marina’s mother, a schoolteacher, was told to download Max but told her supervisors she didn’t own a smartphone.

Still, as blackouts spread and restrictions mount, the space to maneuver is shrinking. Many Russians fear that the choices they once had online are quickly disappearing and that Max may soon be the only option left.

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Source: BBC

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