State Duma orders households to chat only with Max
Russian lawmakers have approved a law which requires all households in apartment building to apply the strongly regulated national messaging app Max.
According to the amendments, property management companies and service providers are now required to communicate with residents only via the Max messaging service.
It became officially known that Max would serve as the national messenger after Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order in July on the development of a so-called 'multifunctional information exchange service.' At the same time, the Ministry of Digital Development made clear that this role would be fulfilled by Max, an app developed by a subsidiary company of the VK Holding.
At the end of November, it became known that Russian authorities on all levels were recommended to switch to the app in their communication. Information also emerged that the Ministry of Education of Russia had instructed all universities and secondary vocational institutions to apply the app. However, the Ministry of Digital Development later circulated a clarification that the use of Max in educational institutions is voluntary.
As part of the broader rollout of Max, state censorship agency Roskomnadzor has also been seeking to restrict access to other messengers in Russia, including WhatsApp, FaceTime, Snapchat and even the gaming platform Roblox, where users create groups and virtual worlds to communicate with each other.
On December 17, Roskomnadzor announced that Roblox, a gaming service, had confirmed its readiness to comply with the laws in order to keep the gaming platform active. Among the conditions from Roskomnazor was the introduction of regulations on chats and user communication features for users in Russia.
On December 10, Konstantin Larionov, an independent local politician from the region of Kaluga, announced that a collective lawsuit had been filed against Roskomnadzor. According to him, in August 2025 users across the country experienced restrictions on voice calls in WhatsApp and Telegram. A common means of communication for millions of people effectively became unavailable, prompting preparations for legal action.
The plaintiffs are now challenging the blocking of voice calls in messengers, which was introduced by Roskomnadzor without notifying citizens or providing legal justification. Their main arguments are that the decision was made covertly, no official documents or explanations were issued, and the restrictions violate constitutional rights, including freedom of information, the secrecy of correspondence, and the right to privacy.
It is also noted that the wording used by Roskomnadzor to justify the restrictions—citing measures to combat fraud—does not address the real risks involved.
Konstantin Larionov has called on all interested parties to join the class action lawsuit.
