Cloudflare, the largest hosting provider, labeled the domain of the “national messenger” Max as spyware, Verstka noticed.
It is unknown exactly when this happened. At the same time, Cloudflare’s website indicates that the Max domain still has a TLS certificate confirming the project’s authenticity.
Screenshot: Cloudflare
What happens next? The Max app is still available for download in the App Store and Google Play. However, Apple previously removed Telega, an unofficial Telegram client, from its store. This happened after Cloudflare classified it as spyware. Soon after, Apple also banned iPhone owners from using Telega.
Why should people avoid using Max? The messenger lacks end-to-end encryption, privacy, and even the ability to create public channels of its own. In addition, it is easy to hack — the service was criticized for this even by the FSB. Despite statements about security, scammers are already present in Max.