Apple restricts access to Russia’s MAX messaging app

Russian Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev said that Apple has restricted access to the nationally developed messaging application MAX without providing any justification.

Speaking to journalists at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Shadayev commented on the US-based company Apple removing the MAX app from the App Store.

He noted that MAX has surpassed 60 million daily users, adding that about 25–30% of them use devices running the iOS operating system.

Shadayev stated: “With this decision, Apple has restricted access to the national messaging application MAX for more than 20 million users of iPhones and iPads without giving any explanation.”

In Russia, messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram have been fully blocked for security and anti-fraud reasons. Meanwhile, the locally developed MAX app, launched last year, has spread rapidly, especially among public institutions.

The statements were made during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).