Authorities have long sought access to Telegram, the Russian-made platform that has hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
Last week, Russian users widely reported that they could no longer use Telegram or were having major problems with it.
In parallel with this, the authorities in Moscow have launched their own platform - Max - which is being widely marketed.
Needed for many services
It is not formally mandatory to have Max, but since last fall the app has been pre-installed on all phones and tablets sold in Russia.
Government and bank services are integrated in such a way that it is practically difficult to opt out. Nothing happens anonymously - and unencrypted information is stored on servers to which Russian authorities have access.
Max looks and works like Telegram, but is, according to President Vladimir Putin, a more secure alternative that makes Russia more independent.
Authorities, schools and large companies are reported to have implemented Max in their operations. Access to the Internet is being shut down increasingly often for large parts of the population during the ongoing war in Ukraine - which is causing widespread frustration - but Max is the exception and continues to work.
Skepticism and sarcasm
The federal media regulator Roskomnadzor is urging Russians to register on Max as soon as possible to receive special benefits.
The agency posted such a message on the Russian-language social giant VKontakte. One user sarcastically pointed out that the app appears very suspicious and that its creators seem to want to collect users' data.
"I don't trust this app; I believe it needs to undergo the harshest possible scrutiny," the person writes, and several hundred others have expressed their approval.
Another questioned Roskomnadzor's continued posting on Telegram and other platforms: "Aren't you ashamed?"
Many find loopholes
Telegram has operated in a gray area, hosting independent media and Ukrainians as well as Kremlin-loyal voices and war analysts, including some who are relatively critical.
Many Russians are also accustomed to bypassing the censorship apparatus, for example with VPN services, to reach banned platforms used in the rest of the world.
An initial analysis of recent weeks' access problems shows that it is primarily pro-regime channels that are losing readers, reports Novaya Gazeta.
Russia has long restricted freedom of the press and expression. Most major media outlets are under state control. Criticizing the government or spreading "false information" about, for example, the war in Ukraine is punishable by imprisonment.
The Kremlin labels independent media and organizations as "foreign agents" or undesirable. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X have been banned. YouTube has been restricted.
Domestic giants have also been brought under control. VKontakte (VK), the Russian equivalent of Facebook, was taken over by companies controlled by the state and oligarchs in 2021. VK's creator Pavel Durov started Telegram instead. The VK group has launched the government-affiliated app Max.
The goal is to create a separate and controlled "Russian" internet, sometimes called Runet. It is described as a "digital iron curtain", similar to the network China has established behind what is known as "The Great Firewall".
