(FILES) This illustration photo shows the Russia MAX messenger logo displayed on a smartphone in Mulhouse, eastern France on February 13, 2026. Russia is pushing its Max messenger -- a social media platform without encryption -- onto its citizens with a massive promotion campaign and the simultaneous blocking of Whatsapp and Telegram, the country's two most popular messengers. The rollout has raised concerns among critics and digital rights groups that Moscow will use Max to surveil its citizens and further cut digital links to the West. (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP via Getty Images)