EU sanctions Russian companies behind state-backed Max app

The European Union announced sanctions against the company behind Russia's state-backed messaging app Max, saying the app had been used to help suppress dissent.

The EU targeted Russian media giant VK and its daughter company Communication Platform. The EU said Communication Platform ran Max under the supervision of the FSB intelligence agency.

According to the EU, Max comes pre-installed on all mobile devices sold in Russia and has extensive surveillance features. The bloc said those capabilities had been used for repressive actions against users who criticised Russia's war against Ukraine or posted other content banned by Russian authorities.

Moscow has been pushing Russians for months to install Max. The source says the app lacks encryption and that critics say it could be used to track people. Russian authorities have throttled WhatsApp and Telegram, the country's two largest messaging apps, and forced civil servants, state companies, schools and government agencies to move communications onto Max.

Max has been compared with China's WeChat because it combines social media and messaging with access to government services, a digital ID card system, banking and payments. President Vladimir Putin has described Max as a more secure platform that meets Russia's demand for technological sovereignty.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has previously accused the Kremlin of imposing a digital iron curtain on Russians to hide worsening conditions in the country as sanctions over the Ukraine war take effect. The EU has imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.