this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2025
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148
Russia targets WhatsApp and pushes new 'super-app' as internet blackouts grow (www.bbc.com)
submitted 3 days ago by Davriellelouna@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] frunch@lemmy.world 41 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

This article is worth reading, imo. There's more going on here than the introduction of the "Max" 'super-app'. I wasn't aware of this but Russia has also been subjecting its population to a "digital detox" where Internet blackouts are becoming increasingly common. In some areas the Internet is down most of the time, in others service has returned but is extremely poor compared to before the blackout. Mobile Internet blackouts have been performed claiming without evidence that it's to disrupt drones coming from Ukraine.

In some areas this Max 'super-app' (which handles banking, communication, and more--and is a direct line for government surveillance) is the only option to do banking or communicate with anybody by phone. This practice is sweeping the country after declaring Meta a terrorist organization, and swiftly eliminating any Meta apps from Russian access including Instagram, Facebook, and the most popular app for communication in Russia: WhatsApp.

This is fucked on another level and i think we should be paying attention because this is presumably where Trump gets his inspiration and/or his marching orders, so i have a suspicion we'll see something similar wash up on our shores soon enough.

I've been thinking about this for a while now--a mass, extended Internet disruption would not only screw up communication on a grand scale here, but business would also be tremendously impacted. It's the next 'privilege' for us to have taken away and replaced with an enshittified surrogate, forcing large swaths of people to sign over even more of their autonomy to big brother in exchange to have all the things the Internet has now made possible. Want to be able to easily get navigation on gps? Talk to your friends or family? Pay bills using your bank account? Imagine there was only 1 app that will allow you to do that from now on. I can only imagine how shitty the user experience is on "Max" but i suppose in time i won't need to--I'll have a front row seat to try it out here in the comfort of my home one of these days, seeing the direction things appear to be heading in. I mean shit, we're probably already nearly there and i just don't realize it yet 🫠

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 day ago

Well, if you compare all this to the Fediverse and Threads, then a national segment being functional in case of a potential self-isolation is kinda fine.

And just how they say that an absolutely secure computer is not networked, doesn't have media reading devices and is turned off, - most of tech is possibly compromised by the USA.

And some of the jamming really coincides with areas where the explanation about Ukraine makes sense (military locations nearby). I've, eh, been in one such yesterday and today morning.

About one app for everything, dystopia and so on - the Internet as a thing is designed this way. Notice how Meta itself came into existence, and Google, and them all. After all, the Internet grew out of a military project, militaries usually have one specific approach to hierarchy and initiative. Would be weird if their system weren't designed with it in mind.

Of course Putin wants more power and surveillance. But since much of the population already does a lot over VK, it's not such a big change as it would seem.

[–] drath@lemmy.world 18 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

It is indeed total ass. Reporting from the ground here, mobile internet is effectively dead - cloudflare is banned and most vpn protocols are cut after 20kb. There are still ways, like ssh forwarding, amnezia and zapret, but the trend is towards blocking all encrypted traffic going abroad. Complete outages are also common as well.

Wired is a bit better, I see disruptions frequently between my ru and non-ru nodes, but it's usually between two hosts and relayable, no complete ban like on mobile.

Max is on track of becoming mandatory. It already is for school students and their parents. Gosuslugi (gov services) already show an option to use it for auth, there are alrwady deeper integrations on the way that would make it a requirement.

It is pretty openly spied upon. I'm not touching that shit with a six foot pole, but there were already arrests over things said in voice-calls and I've even heard reports of FSB agents interjecting right in the middle of the call, saying they're being too annoying and force-hanging the call.

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 days ago

Lol, imagine annoying your personal spy so much, that they cut the call

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Can you do a route via mobile -> home -> VPNs outside though?

[–] drath@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

No, not really, kind of. VPN protocols are cut regardless if it's domestic or not. You can still use something like tunneling or proxies, but at this point you'd be better off just connecting to a box abroad directly.

[–] Visstix@lemmy.world 21 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Declaring Meta a terrorist organisation is a rare win for Russia.

[–] abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 3 days ago

Yeah but it's a little bit like finding out that the Taliban banned Opium production: the reason they're doing it is because they want the price to shoot up and they wanna move the country onto making Meth.

[–] drath@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Doesn't work, though. Every other business in Russia is still asking for WA for contact. I've been using extremist excuse for the past year as for why I'm not in it, because I can't be too arsed to explain that I'm not using an aggressively proprietary phone-only garbage from a privacy-violating corporation. They're still asking, even after the recent ban. Honestly, I should just straight up report them to the police at this point.

[–] stsquad@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I wonder how much this will impact the economy in Russia? It seems they're is not much point having a smart phone if all you are allowed to access is government controlled services.

Do the major phones get sold in Russia or are they all locally produced?

[–] balder1991@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Also if there is constant outages as well, it’s not just about Internet connection. The impact is much larger on everything.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

In my office the manager just sends everybody home if it is more than 30 minutes with the expectation that you probably won't be working that day unless you have some deliverable due. I can't imagine what it would be like if those outtages were frequent.

[–] buzz86us@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Honestly there needs to be an open source WhstsApp replacement.

[–] abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 3 days ago (2 children)

That exists. It's called Signal.

[–] drath@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

But dont try to use it in Russia (or Iran, or anywhere with authoritarian government). That's how you put a target on your head.

I'd suggest matrix but it kind of sucks as well.

Any other options?

[–] neblem@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

And if you don't want Signal because its "too centralized" for whatever reason, there's DeltaChat, SimpleX, and good ol' XMPP.

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

Freest, strongest, most glorious Russia!

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

You would have to be a complete lib dummy not to "target" whatsapp.

And likewise you would have to be a complete tankie dummy to trust some putin app.

Yet another example of libs and tankies being the same thing with different imperial branding.