Cloudflare identifies Russia's "Max" app as spyware
Cloudflare has labeled the Russian messaging app "Max," associated with the max.ru domain, as a spy program, according to reports from Ixbt.com. Previously, the company had also tagged the "Telega" app in a similar manner, leading to its removal from the App Store. Despite this, the Max app, developed by VK, remains available on both the App Store and Google Play, offering various services including messaging, video and audio calls, money transfers, and age verification. The app was renamed "MAKS" in April 2026 to reflect its maximum capabilities, and new features such as comments, polls, and a system for age verification at over 100,000 retail locations were introduced shortly thereafter.
Hosting provider Cloudflare has flagged the max.ru domain, which belongs to the "Max" national messenger, as spyware. Ixbt.com reports this.
Previously, the company applied a similar label to the "Telega" application, and it was removed from the App Store. Currently, max.ru has a valid TLS certificate, and the application is available on the App Store and Google Play.
"Max" is a multifunctional application developed by the VK company. In addition to messaging, video, and audio calls, it supports services such as money transfers and age verification.
On April 21, 2026, the application's name was changed to "MAKS." VK explained this as reflecting the service's maximum capabilities.
On April 25, 2026, it was reported that comments, polls, and stories were added to the messenger. On April 27, an age verification system for customers at more than 100,000 retail outlets was launched through the application.
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