Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing citizens to verify their age via the Max messenger. Under the new rules, the Max platform will be used as an official means of identification for a number of products and services with age restrictions.
According to information contained in sources where official legal acts are published, citizens will be able to verify their age when purchasing tobacco products, alcoholic beverages and energy drinks via Max. This mechanism will also be applied when selling information products with age restrictions, selling household hazardous gas-containing goods, participating in lotteries and entering entertainment events.
Measures against illegal trade
The law also provides for a mechanism to combat the illegal online sale of tobacco and hookah products. Thus, it will be possible to block websites that post information about such sales without a court order.
What is Max?
Max is a local messenger and digital platform created in Russia and supported by the state. The platform is designed not only for correspondence and calling services, but also for identity and age verification, communication with state and municipal institutions, as well as the provision of various official digital services.
In recent years, Max has been developed within the framework of the “smart digital ecosystem” model and is presented as an alternative to foreign messengers. The platform’s main priorities are data storage in Russia and direct integration with state systems.
