Russia has formally blocked Apple’s FaceTime and Snapchat, expanding a sweeping campaign against Western digital platforms as the state tightens control over online communications.
The decision, confirmed by Roskomnadzor on Thursday, comes with authorities alleging that both services were being used to coordinate terrorist activity, recruit participants, and conduct fraud. No evidence has been publicly presented to support the claims.
The regulator revealed that Snapchat has actually been blocked since October, though Thursday’s announcement marks the first time this was acknowledged. FaceTime users, meanwhile, had reported call failures as early as September. Roskomnadzor’s confirmation now makes clear that the disruptions were part of an intentional nationwide restriction. Calls still work through VPNs, but users attempting direct connections typically encounter “User unavailable” messages.
The bans land as Russia intensifies pressure on WhatsApp, the country’s dominant messaging app. Authorities have already limited some WhatsApp and Telegram calls this year and warned that a full shutdown of WhatsApp is possible, accusing the Meta-owned service of refusing to comply with data-localization rules and law-enforcement requests.
Digital rights groups say the pattern points to a broader effort to steer users toward MAX, a newly launched state-backed messenger that critics argue could enable deeper government surveillance. Russian officials deny the accusation, framing the blocks as necessary security measures.
The crackdown is not limited to messaging. A day before the FaceTime and Snapchat announcement, Roskomnadzor also blocked access to Roblox, accusing the US gaming platform of spreading extremist materials and “LGBT propaganda.” The move continues a year of expanding internet controls as Moscow seeks greater oversight of platforms it considers politically or socially destabilizing.
Apple has not commented on the FaceTime restrictions, and Snapchat’s parent company has not issued a statement.
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