The EU has imposed sanctions on VK and the Mah messaging app: Will this affect their operations?
13 July 15:12
The European Union has added the Russian company VK and its subsidiary, Communication Platform LLC—the developer and operator of the state-run messaging app Max—to its sanctions list. The justification states that the holding company helps monitor citizens, enforce censorship, and identify those who disagree with the policies of the Russian leadership. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing the Official Journal of the EU and Russian propaganda media.
“VK has cooperated with Russian authorities in their repressive activities, in particular by sharing data on its users who posted content critical of the war against Ukraine,” the EU emphasized.
It is also noted that the company is involved in the crackdown on VPNs to deprive Russians of access to independent information on the internet.
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As for Max, the EU noted that its development was carried out under the supervision of the FSB, and the messenger has effectively become a surveillance tool capable of collecting various types of data without the user’s knowledge. In addition, it was emphasized that the rollout of Max was accompanied by restrictions on access to independent platforms, including WhatsApp and Telegram, and that information collected through the state-run messaging app has already been used by Russian authorities to persecute citizens for their content.
VK stated that the sanctions will not affect the operation of its services. The company is headed by Vladimir Kirienko, the son of the first deputy head of the Russian presidential administration. He has been on the EU’s blacklist since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Along with “Communication Platform,” its CEO, Elena Bagudina, as well as the companies “Citadel,” VAS Experts, and “Norsi-Trans” were also sanctioned. The EU noted that these entities are developers and suppliers of hardware and software for the Operational-Investigative Measures (SORM) system, which the FSB uses to gain access to internet traffic and other user data.
Earlier, the VK service and the Max messenger were removed from the Apple App Store—the American corporation attributed the decision to UK sanctions.
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