Russia orders state-backed MAX messenger app, a WhatsApp rival, pre-installed on phones and tablets

A Russian state-backed messenger application called MAX, a rival to WhatsApp that critics say could be used to track users, must be pre-installed on all mobile phones and tablets from next month, the Russian government said on Thursday.

The decision to promote MAX comes as Moscow is seeking greater control over the internet space as it is locked in a standoff with the West over Ukraine, which it casts as part of an attempt to shape a new world order.

The Russian government said in a statement that MAX, which will be integrated with government services,…