Max messenger to tap GIS KSIM: what it will check on your SIM

The Russian government is preparing to connect the Max messenger to GIS KSIM, a state system used to oversee mobile operators. This follows from a draft government decree and explanations from the Ministry of Digital Development.

Once integrated, Max will be able to verify the current status of the phone numbers that user accounts are registered to. If a number stops being active, the messenger will know.

The ministry describes the goal this way: when a subscriber ends a contract with a carrier, Max should account for that and quickly spot the change in the number’s status. The ministry calls it a security measure that will help detect unlawful use of accounts.

GIS KSIM itself exists so that the state can monitor how telecom operators meet their obligations to subscribers. One of its functions is to check how accurate the data is that operators pass to government bodies.

Max was built by VK and is promoted in Russia as the national messenger. Since 1 September 2025, the app has been mandatorily preinstalled on devices sold in the country.

Source: iXBT