After Apple yanks Max from App Store, VIPs still toast the Kremlin-linked messenger at SPIEF
A private VK Night party celebrating the launch of the Max messenger was held at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the independent Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo reported, citing video from the event obtained from a source.
According to the outlet’s source, at the party “everything revolved around Max — advertising, jokes.”
The event was hosted by journalist and socialite Ksenia Sobchak. Among the guests were Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadaev and VK CEO Vladimir Kiriyenko, the son of Sergei Kiriyenko, President Putin’s domestic policy czar. Pop singers Vanya Dmitriyenko and Lolita Milyavskaya performed at the party.
On June 3, the Max messenger was removed from the App Store. Apple later told BBC Russia that it removed Max “in accordance with sanctions compliance rules.” At the time of removal, the messenger ranked ninth on the list of most-downloaded apps in Russia.
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