The Internet has changed. Popular apps are banned. The VPN connection is routed. Russia’s so-called “big crack” appears to have one clear wannabe winner — the government-controlled MAX app.
Along with the Chinese WeChat, MAX is a messaging app that not only wants to replace the now-restricted WhatsApp and Telegram, but also includes government services. Starting in September, MAX must be pre-installed on all new smartphones and tablets sold in Russia.
“Orders came down from the Presid Administration to drive people to switch to MAX, by any means necessary – by using persuasion and manipulation, scare tactics, and outright lies. Now, the authorities have decided to increase the pressure on the Russians and by using their wallets,” Darbinyan told TechRadar.
Step 1: Changing the law
The authorities knew that an aggressive, large-scale promotional campaign would not be enough to convince the masses to switch to MAX — so a change in the law was necessary.
Authorities have also adjusted their powers to control what citizens can access online. After the passing of Government Decree No. 1667 in late October 2025, Roskomnadzor can now block content directly, rather than relying on telecom operators and ISPs.
In February 2026, the Russian Parliament then passed a law giving the Federal Security Service (FSB) the power to order the blocking of targeted communications at will.
While using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is technically illegal, several laws govern these evasion tools. A law introduced in 2024 criminalizes the distribution of information on how to bypass internet restrictions. The law that led Google to be fined 22.8 million rubles last February.
In July 2025, lawmakers passed legislation criminalizing the search for ‘extreme’ content, introducing new penalties for those who access illegal content via a VPN.
Step 2: Eliminate the competition
Changing the legal landscape gave the Kremlin permission to control the Internet, but it was through new and sophisticated blocking methods that the authorities killed the MAX competition.
While the likes of Facebook and Instagram were blacked out back in March 2022, after Meta was deemed an “extremist organization,” Russians still had access to WhatsApp, YouTube, and Telegram — with the latter widely spread across the country.
Everything changed a few months ago. The restrictions started in August of last year, in February 2026 marked a clear increase with the use of a combination of DNS blocking and DPI techniques.
Russia is restricting access to Telegram to force its citizens into a government-controlled app designed for political surveillance and censorship. This act of tyranny will not change our course. Telegram stands for freedom and privacy, no matter the pressure.February 10, 2026
The Kremlin says the restrictions are necessary for security reasons, but experts say the move is directly related to encouraging wider use of MAX.
“It was clear that this process will continue slowly but gradually until these platforms are fully blocked. What we misjudged, however, was the timing of Telegram’s crackdown,” said Darbinyan to TechRadar back in February, while pointing out that Telegram’s restrictions began on the same day VK announced the launch of “independent channels” on MAX.
The manager of Telegram, Pavel Durov, also took this step as a “authorization,” describing it as a way to “force citizens into a state-controlled application designed for political surveillance and censorship.”
Step 3: Make using a VPN difficult
VPNs have long been an important tool in Russia, as they enable citizens to evade strict government censorship and access international news outlets and other blocked platforms. This need is now even more important now that the last line of communication has been cut.
As experts speaking to TechRadar earlier this year explained, Russia’s war against VPNs entered a new, violent phase. They actually predicted that the push to MAX would have strengthened VPN blocking.
These efforts have intensified especially this week as the Minister of Digital Development, Maksut Shadaev, is adjusting his tactics to make using a VPN even more difficult.
First, Shadaev announced new blocking obligations for platforms and a possible large fee for users who exceeded 15GB of international data per month. This is while weighing the possibility of introducing administrative fines to those who use circumvention tools. After that, he ordered telecom operators to disable Apple ID payments to make paying for VPN subscriptions difficult.
All this happened as Apple removed many custom VPN clients from the Russian App Store at the request of the state media regulator, Roskomnadzor.
These measures, according to some analysts, may be a product of technical limitations in effectively blocking VPN connections. VPN providers continue to invest in powerful anti-censorship tools such as AmneziaWG, QUIC, and other obfuscation protocols. That being said, they are talking about the direction the government wants to go.
A false step? Telegram ban
Strict internet censorship and VPN throttling are nothing new in Russia. The Kremlin, however, does not seem to underestimate the reaction of citizens by shutting down their favorite program – Telegram.
This, coupled with widespread internet blackouts affecting people in Moscow, St Petersburg, and now those living in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, has fueled a wave of discontent across the country.
The Kremlin went all in on MAX, and pissed off its staunchest supporters in the process.
So, will this be enough to stop Putin from revolutionizing the Internet, as Darbinyan from RKS Global fears, become “something only available to the loyal and wealthy who can afford external traffic and a reliable VPN app”?
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