ASTRA: Russian school disco denies entry to students without state-backed Max app

High school students in the Russian city of Penza were reportedly barred from attending a New Year’s school disco after refusing to install the state-backed messaging app Max.

The incident was first reported by the Telegram channel For a Free Internet/Penza, which cited a parent of a student at Gymnasium No. 13 and shared a screenshot as evidence, ASTRA writes.

Students were reportedly  informed in advance that installing and registering on the Max national messenger was a mandatory requirement to attend the event.

The information was later confirmed by a source cited by the independent outlet NeMoskva. According to the source, the disco took place on Friday, December 26, and students who had not installed Max were denied entry. Those who arrived without the app on their phones were reportedly turned away and sent home.

The incident follows recent legislative changes in Russia. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin signed a law requiring school and household group chats to be transferred to the national messenger Max, part of a broader push to replace foreign digital platforms with domestically developed alternatives.

Privacy concerns surrounding Max have been raised by independent researchers. According to an analysis by the Social Technology Greenhouse project, cited by ASTRA, the messenger collects an unusually broad range of personal data and records nearly all user activity. The app’s privacy policy states that user data may be shared with third parties and government agencies.

By Sabina Mammadli