In brief
In a bid to tighten control over digital communication, the Russian government has imposed new restrictions on WhatsApp and Telegram, coinciding with the promotion of a new state-led 'super-app' called Max. This move aims to centralize user data and oversight while ordinary citizens adapt to a landscape of intermittent internet blackouts and limited app availability.
Marina, a 45-year-old freelance copywriter, has relied on WhatsApp for her work and personal life for years. But one day last month that abruptly changed when a call to a colleague did not go through properly. They tried Telegram - another messaging app popular in Russia - but that did not work either. She was one of millions of Russians facing new restrictions imposed in mid-August by Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, on calls made through the two platforms - the country's most popular apps.The timing coincides with the rollout of a new 'national messenger' app known as Max and created by a Russian firm closely controlled by the Kremlin. Monthly user numbers of WhatsApp and Telegram are estimated to be 97 and 90 million respectively — in a country of 143 million people. From parents' chats to tenants' groups, much of daily life runs through them. WhatsApp - whose owner, Meta, is designated an extremist organisation in Russia - is especially popular with older people because of how easy it is to register and use.In some parts of Russia, particularly in remote and sparsely connected places in the Far East, WhatsApp is much more than chatting with friends and colleagues. Mobile browsing is sometimes painfully slow, so people use the app to coordinate local matters, order taxis, buy alcohol, and share news. Both apps offer end-to-end encryption which means that no third party, not even those who own them, are able to read messages or listen to calls.Officials claim the apps have refused to store Russian users' data in the country, as required by law, and they allege that scammers exploit messaging apps. Yet Central Bank figures show the majority of scams still happen over regular mobile networks. Telecom experts and many Russians see the crackdown as the government trying to keep an eye on who people talk to and potentially what they say. The authorities don't want us, ordinary people, to maintain any kind of relationships, connections, friendships or mutual support. They want everyone to sit quietly in their own corner, says Marina, who lives in Tula, a city 180km south of Moscow. She asked us to change her name, fearing the repercussions of speaking to foreign media.The new Max app is being aggressively promoted by pop stars and bloggers, and since 1 September all devices sold in Russia must have Max pre-installed. Launched by VK, the owner of the country's largest social network, this 'super-app' is set to combine daily communication with access to government services and banking.Despite resistance and the ongoing paranoia surrounding surveillance, the Kremlin's efforts to restrict internet access and facilitate state-sanctioned applications pose numerous challenges for the Russian populace, who are increasingly drawn towards alternative methods of communication amidst a climate of digital oppression. As restrictions tighten and the digital landscape shifts, the ability for ordinary citizens to remain connected is becoming more complicated.
