Digital ID in MAX is presented as a convenient replacement for paper documents. You show a QR code — and confirm your age or status without a passport in hand. On the surface, everything looks simple and tech-savvy. But if you look deeper, this isn’t just a new button in your profile — it’s a change in how the messenger is used. Especially since everyone is pushing and asking you to create one. Imagine, the MAX app tracks you, they make you create a Digital ID — a real paradise for paranoia.
Afraid to create a Digital ID? It’s time to learn everything about it. Image: ria.ru
When you create a Digital ID in MAX, you link your account to a verified Gosuslugi (Government Services) account. From that moment on, your profile is no longer conditionally anonymous.
What Is Digital ID in MAX
Digital ID is an electronic tool for verifying identity, age, or social status through the MAX app. It is integrated with Gosuslugi and is generated on your smartphone after passing verification. Essentially, it’s a digital “trust badge” based on official data.
Creating an ID requires authorization through Gosuslugi and identity confirmation with documents already verified by the system. Additionally, device biometrics are used — face or fingerprint. This means the ID cannot be activated anonymously or without real data.
It’s important to understand the difference between a regular account and an ID profile. In the first case, you’re simply under a certain phone number. In the second — within the system, your profile is already unambiguously linked to a specific person.
What Features Become Available After Creating a Digital ID
The main thing that Digital ID provides is age or status verification without presenting paper documents. For example, when purchasing 18+ products or in services that require verification of a benefit status. The verifier sees not your data, but only the fact of confirmation.
Thanks to Digital ID, you’ll have quick access to all documents
In the future, use cases in hotels, medical services, and other digital platforms are planned. This means the expansion of MAX’s role from a messenger to an identification tool. However, at the moment, the legal validity of the ID is limited to specific cases.
A verified profile may also gain access to additional features within the ecosystem. There are none yet, but it’s possible that they will appear in the future. This is the typical logic of digital platforms: verified users get more capabilities. But Digital ID is not a full electronic equivalent of a passport.
How Is Digital ID Protected
Digital ID is displayed as a dynamic QR code. It refreshes every 30 seconds, making it difficult to copy and reuse. Even if someone photographs the screen, the code will quickly become outdated.
You cannot take a screenshot of the ID, and opening it is only possible with biometrics
Additionally, the system blocks screenshots. When attempting to save a QR code image, the user gets a blank screen. This reduces the risk of simple copying.
Access to the ID is protected by biometrics. Even if an attacker gains access to the account, without an unlocked device they won’t be able to display the digital profile. Moreover, a smartphone password won’t work — biometrics are specifically required. The ID is also tied to one smartphone and does not automatically transfer to another device.
Digital ID is tied to one device and is not available on others
Through experimentation, we found out that even if you make changes to Face ID, for example add an alternative appearance to make Face ID work faster, the Digital ID will be reset and you’ll have to create it again.
Is It Safe to Create a Digital ID in MAX
From a technical standpoint, the system is implemented quite carefully. Dynamic code generation, biometric authentication, and data transfer restrictions during verification are used. The verifying party sees only the confirmed status, not passport data.
However, absolute security doesn’t exist. If the device is infected with malware, as happens with some Android smartphones, the protection loses its effectiveness. Any digital system primarily depends on the user’s level of cyber hygiene.
There’s also a strategic aspect. By creating an ID, you centralize some personal data within a single platform. This doesn’t mean automatic transfer of information to third parties, but it reduces the degree of anonymity compared to a regular account.
Is It Worth Creating a Digital ID in MAX
If you create a Digital ID in MAX, you get a convenient tool for age and status verification. At the same time, the level of account anonymity decreases, and ecosystem dependency increases. However, the conveniences outweigh the drawbacks. You have to agree that it’s better when everything is inside one app.
I see no reason not to use such a convenient thing as Digital ID. Soon it will be used everywhere possible.
