London —

The Russian government will require the state-backed Max messenger app to be pre-installed on all smartphones and tablets sold in the country, in a move that could increase surveillance of Russian citizens.

According to an official statement Thursday, Max will be installed on devices from September 1. The RuStore app, a homegrown rival to Apple’s App Store, will also be pre-installed on iPhones. In addition, from January 1, the Lime HD TV program, which provides free access to Russian state TV channels, will be automatically installed on Smart TVs in the country.

Max was launched by the state-controlled social media group VK in March as a replacement for VK Messenger, which has been on the government’s list of mandatory apps since 2023.

The new app allows users to send

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