MAX удалили — теперь Кремль заблокирует VPN?

The Max messenger and VK apps have been removed from the App Store and Google Play—an entire ecosystem the Kremlin had built as the foundation of digital control has been slapped with EU sanctions. Mikhail Klimarev, executive director of the Internet Defense Society, and Natalia Arno, president of the Free Russia Foundation, explain how this was achieved: what arguments worked in the conversation with Big Tech, how they proved that Max was spying on users, and why OFAC's 50% rule was enough to link the app to the sanctions list. We also discuss what comes next—whether the Kremlin will be able to keep everything on Rustore, what the consequences will be for ordinary users, and what the Kremlin's response might be as early as this summer. 00:00 Victory: Max and VK removed from stores 02:12 What the campaign against MAX and VK looked like 08:20 Why Klimarev thinks it's too late 13:33 Rustore, developer certificates, and import substitution 15:14 Why Russia is economically a "small country" 21:25 Collective actions of civil society 26:31 How MAX was proven to be a spy app 28:57 OFAC's 50% rule and sanctions against Kiriyenko 31:22 Why Google and Apple don't check anything themselves 38:44 Removal of VK Video, Odnoklassniki, and Mail.ru 43:52 What could the Kremlin's response be 46:57 Dangerous summer: strict VPN blocking 📌 In this episode: · How the EU added Max and the VK holding company to the sanctions mechanism · Why Western Big Tech doesn't look for violators itself—and why it needs to Provide context and evidence · OFAC's 50% Rule: Ownership and Control as Grounds for Sanctions · Rustore, App Signing Certificates, and Google's 2027 Plans · Why Apple's Strike Is More Painful Than Removal from Google Play · How the EU's Position Enshrined the Principle: Surveillance at the Request of Intelligence Agencies Is a Violation · Why It's All Too Late—After Telegram and WhatsApp Are Blocked · How the Kremlin Can Respond: Harsh Blocking of Hundreds of Thousands of VPN Addresses Host: · Grigory Frolov, Vice President of the Free Russia Foundation · Guests: · Mikhail Klimarev, Executive Director of the Internet Defense Society, Founder of VPN Generator · Natalia Arno, President of the Free Russia Foundation Key Points: · "The victory is real, but it all happened too late—after Telegram and WhatsApp were blocked" · "Apple and Google aren't obligated to know what's happening in Russia—they need to provide context and evidence" · "The Rule 50% of OFAC: Creating a subsidiary does not exempt a business from sanctions" · "They can technically block Google, but it would be catastrophic for their own economy" · "The end of July and beginning of August are a dangerous time: the main response is a strict VPN block" Subscribe to the "Transit" channel to stay up to date with new discussions on democracy, federalism, and a future without authoritarianism! Transit is a project of the Free Russia Foundation: https://4freerussia.org https://thinktank.4freerussia.org https://fb.com/FRFTHINKTANK #max #vkontakte #sanctions #roskomnadzor #blocks #vpn #appstore #googleplay #rustore #censorship #russia #klimarev #telegram #whatsapp #youtube #internetfreedom #digitalcensorship #transit