The Kremlin has instructed government officials and lawmakers to transition their Telegram channels to the domestic messaging application Max, as it intensifies regulations on foreign platforms, according to the exiled news outlet Vyorstka reported on Thursday.
This initiative aims to establish a “priority information system” on Max prior to the platform’s public launch, a source linked to the presidential administration informed Vyorstka.
Channels managed by the State Duma, as well as those by regional governors, local authorities, and notable pro-Kremlin commentators, are anticipated to debut on the app in the upcoming weeks.
The content will be curated by Dialog, a state-supported nonprofit organization overseeing communications for regional governments.
Officials will continue to have a presence on other platforms like Telegram, but using Max channels has now become compulsory for governors and for official work communications, a source from a Siberian region revealed to Vyorstka.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stated he joined Max on Wednesday, describing the process as “completely straightforward.”
On the same day, press officers from the Duma informed reporters that all official statements would now be exclusively published on Max, discontinuing their use of Telegram.
This directive arrives as Russian authorities experiment with restrictions on foreign messaging applications.
Vyorstka reported that the Kremlin opted not to immediately ban Telegram and WhatsApp following discussions with the Digital Development Ministry and the Federal Security Service (FSB), starting instead with a prohibition on voice calls.
On Wednesday, the state communications regulator Roskomnadzor announced it was enforcing “partial” restrictions on calls made through both applications, citing citizen complaints that they had become the “primary voice services” for scams, extortion, and recruitment for sabotage or terrorism.
The Digital Development Ministry noted that calls on these apps could be reinstated if they align with Russian legislation.
