EU Sanctions VK Over Development of Messenger App Max

The European Union on Monday sanctioned Russian tech giant VK for its role in developing the Kremlin-backed messaging app Max, which critics say was created for mass surveillance and censorship. According to the EU's official statement, the development of Max was supervised by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

Experts cited by Brussels claim that Max, which comes pre-installed on all devices sold in Russia, has extensive surveillance capabilities to monitor communications. The EU also noted that the introduction of Max was accompanied by a crackdown on other independent apps, including Telegram and WhatsApp.

In response to the sanctions, VK said it does not expect its platforms—including social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, as well as Max—to be affected. The company told state news agencies that applications and services are available to users as normal.

Last month, Apple removed VK platforms and Max from its App Store, citing sanctions compliance, even though VK was not under sanctions at the time.

Separately, the EU and the UK on Monday sanctioned individuals and entities accused of involvement in Russian cyber and hybrid operations. The UK government targeted 24 people and entities, including senior leaders of Russia's GRU military intelligence. Brussels imposed sanctions on nine individuals and four entities linked to the FSB's Center 16, accusing them of collaborating with cyber threat groups.

The EU is expected to adopt its 21st package of sanctions against Russia next week.