Tea time.Feb 26
Supernova+ posted info to their Telegram stating that Russia's MAX is basically a repackaged Telegram fork, under the control of the Russian FSB... which is essentially the FBI, CIA, and NSA all rolled into one. Supernova+ also released some really detailed information on MAX that #infosec , #admin , #security , #hackers , #freespeech #activist , etc. should be VERY interested in, including how to protect yourself from MAX, if you're required to install it. I translated/screen captured the info.
Show threadWho Let The Dogs Out 🐾Feb 26

@KraftTea

Max messenger, this is piece of shit, but it based on TamTam messenger codebase and this not a fork of Telegram.

Please don't copy-paste this crap posts.

https://chat2desk.com/blog/stati/tochno-ne-zablokiruyut-obzor-rossijskix-messendzherov-v-chat2desk

ΠžΠ±Π·ΠΎΡ€ российских мСссСндТСров MAX, Π’Π°ΠΌΠ’Π°ΠΌ ΠΈ Π’Πš, ΠΈ ΠΈΠ½Ρ‚Π΅Π³Ρ€Π°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ с Chat2Desk | Chat2Desk.com Π‘Π»ΠΎΠ³

РоссийскиС мСссСндТСры MAX, Π’Π°ΠΌΠ’Π°ΠΌ ΠΈ Π’Πš: ΠΎΠ±Π·ΠΎΡ€ возмоТностСй ΠΈ ΠΈΠ½Ρ‚Π΅Π³Ρ€Π°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ с Chat2Desk βž₯ Π‘Π»ΠΎΠ³ Chat2Desk.com - ΡƒΠ·Π½Π°ΠΉΡ‚Π΅, ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ Ρ€Π°Π±ΠΎΡ‚Π°Ρ‚ΡŒ с Ρ‡Π°Ρ‚Π°ΠΌΠΈ βœ” Π’ΠΈΠ΄ΠΆΠ΅Ρ‚Ρ‹ WhatsAppβ„’, MAXβ„’, Telegramβ„’ Π½Π° сайтС ΠΈ Π² CRM βœ” ΠžΠΌΠ½ΠΈΠΊΠ°Π½Π°Π»ΡŒΠ½Ρ‹Π΅ Ρ€Π΅ΡˆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡ для ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΠ΄Π°ΠΆ ΠΈ Ρ‚Π΅Ρ…. ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Π΄Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠΊΠΈ

Show threadTea time.Feb 26

@ashed I will do more research on this and look for authoritative, independently-researched analysis, but the site you are citing here appears to be pro-MAX propaganda, quite possibly backed by VKontakte, basically encouraging people to install a trojan on to their phone.

If VKontakte decided to rip off Telegram's tech with the FSB's blessing, they wouldn't admit to it regardless, and might integrate elements of their own code and UI to do it.

Show threadWho Let The Dogs Out 🐾

@KraftTea

Try to research from this atticle.
Habr.ru in Russia seems like Slashdot in USA.

https://habr.com/ru/articles/938518/

And here is detailed deep analysis of Max messenger.

https://github.com/Illirgway/MAX-deep-analysis-of-the-messenger

ВСхничСский Ρ€Π°Π·Π±ΠΎΡ€ Max: Ρ‡Ρ‚ΠΎ Π²Π½ΡƒΡ‚Ρ€ΠΈ APK

БСйчас мСссСндТСр Max Β«ΠΎΡ‡Π΅Π½ΡŒ классно Π»ΠΎΠ²ΠΈΡ‚ Π΄Π°ΠΆΠ΅ Π½Π° ΠΏΠ°Ρ€ΠΊΠΎΠ²ΠΊΠ΅Β» πŸ™ƒ Π‘Ρ‚Π°Π»ΠΎ интСрСсно: Π° Ρ‡Ρ‚ΠΎ ΠΆΠ΅ Π·Π° Ρ‚Π΅Ρ…Π½ΠΎΠ»ΠΎΠ³ΠΈΠΈ стоят Π·Π° этим Ρ‡ΡƒΠ΄ΠΎΠΌ? Π‘ΠΊΠ°Ρ‡Π°Π» APK (вСсит ~114 MB) ΠΈ ΠΏΠΎΠ»Π΅Π· Π²Π½ΡƒΡ‚Ρ€ΡŒ. Как ковырял НичСго...

Π₯Π°Π±Ρ€
Feb 26 at 7:33pmWeb
Show threadTea time.Feb 27
@ashed I will not research from ANY Russian article, because all the content posted has to conform to Russian legal requirements that are currently leading to people being arrested - and, often, tortured - for exercising their free speech rights.
Show threadWho Let The Dogs Out 🐾Feb 27
@KraftTea
I'm afraid you've got a somewhat distorted interpretation of the events that are taking place.
When you are personally right inside the situation, it is foolish to argue with an interlocutor who has no immediate experience.
Show threadWho Let The Dogs Out 🐾Feb 27
@KraftTea
Research it with your own hands. It will be a point of view, your **personal** point of view.