Experts emphasize that this initiative does not mandate active use of the messenger by users; rather, it primarily affects smartphone retailers. Furthermore, integration with the «Gosuslugi» (State Services) platform is expected to be implemented in Max within the coming weeks.
Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, announced that the «Gosuslugi» (State Services) platform will be integrated into the Max messenger within the next few weeks, with the integration process nearing completion. Additionally, in a few weeks, starting September 1st, the pre-installation of Max on new smartphones will become mandatory. This raises the question of how this requirement might affect the popularity of the Russian national messenger?
The core provisions of Federal Law No. 156, informally known as the national messenger law, became effective back in June. However, the specific clause regarding Max`s pre-installation will only take effect on the first day of the new academic year. This practice is not new to the Russian market, as similar measures have been implemented previously. For instance, Yandex services have long been pre-installed on most devices officially sold in Russia. Alexey Gorelkin, an information security expert and CEO of Phishman, elaborates:
Alexey Gorelkin, expert in information security, CEO of Phishman:
«This is an established procedure. Mobile device manufacturers are prepared for it. Essentially, it`s a list of applications that are either offered for installation or are already pre-installed. While they might appear mandatory, users actually have the option not to use them. Some manufacturers do install them directly onto the device, but users can always uninstall the application if it`s not needed. Therefore, this is a standard, existing mechanism, and no fundamental innovations are foreseen here.»
The situation with iPhones, imported into Russia via parallel import channels, is different. American company Apple, having exited the Russian market, is unlikely to concern itself with complying with new Russian legislation. The same applies to devices from Chinese manufacturers sold on platforms like AliExpress. Nevertheless, if the mandatory pre-installation of Max is closely monitored, major Russian smartphone suppliers will undoubtedly find a workaround. It`s worth recalling that in the past, the presence of shortcuts on a smartphone screen with links to download mandatory applications was also considered a form of pre-installation. It`s also important to note that Russian citizens are not compelled to install the national messenger on their smartphones. The pre-installation requirement primarily targets manufacturers.
Regarding the integration of «Gosuslugi» (State Services) into Max, this concept appears somewhat unusual. Given that «Gosuslugi» is already widely accessible via both a web interface and a mobile application, which most users already have installed, there seems little point in installing Max solely for «Gosuslugi» access. It would be, at the very least, naive to expect a mass influx of users to the national messenger immediately after such an integration. German Klimenko, Chairman of the Board of the Digital Economy Development Fund, comments:
German Klimenko, Chairman of the Board of the Digital Economy Development Fund:
«The popularity of the Russian national messenger will increase due to the active presence of government officials within it. Journalists will follow suit, and then business representatives. This will undoubtedly enhance its reputation. `Gosuslugi,` meanwhile, is just an additional feature, a unique selling proposition. I don`t believe it will immediately impact the messenger`s overall demand. First, it`s necessary to understand how the state plans to migrate its entire official apparatus there.»
Earlier in August, it was reported that within the national messenger Max, which is still undergoing testing, two channels had surpassed the one hundred thousand subscriber mark. The combined audience across all channels reached one million.
However, currently, not every user can create their own channel within the national messenger; a special permit is required for this. Max`s current statistics are not yet particularly impressive. Nevertheless, comparing it to Telegram at this stage would be inappropriate.
