citizen engagement

Russian lawmakers prefer using Telegram for communication despite a Kremlin directive to shift to the state-backed app, Max. A study by Polilog found that deputies from the United Russia party have about 4.8 million subscribers on Telegram, with State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin having the highest engagement rates. Posts from lawmakers of the New People party receive an average of 31,000 views, significantly higher than the 11,200 views for United Russia deputies. Approximately 25% of deputies communicate solely through text, 55% use a mix of text and images, and 20% include video content. Despite government efforts to promote Max, including restrictions on Telegram and WhatsApp calls, many lawmakers continue to use Telegram for updates. Duma Speaker Volodin launched a Max channel, but updates were reportedly still shared in Telegram chats, contrary to official guidelines.