Russia Restricts Apple’s FaceTime and Blocks Snapchat

Russian authorities announced Thursday restrictions on Apple’s FaceTime video calling service and blocked Snapchat,continuing efforts to tighten control over the internet and online communications.

State internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that both services are being “used to organize and conduct terrorist activities on the territory of the country, to recruit perpetrators (and) commit fraud and other crimes against our citizens.” Apple has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Roskomnadzor reported blocking Snapchat on October 10, though the proclamation was made Thursday.

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has systematically worked to control the internet through restrictive laws and bans on non-compliant websites and platforms, alongside technology designed to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media platforms including twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Access to YouTube was disrupted last year, which experts attributed to deliberate throttling by Russian authorities; the Kremlin blamed Google for hardware issues.

While virtual private networks (VPNs) can sometimes circumvent restrictions, they are also routinely blocked. This summer, widespread shutdowns of cellphone internet connections were implemented, officially to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts believe this was another move to increase internet control. Dozens of regions have introduced “white lists” of government-approved sites and services intended to remain functional during shutdowns.

Encrypted messenger Signal and Viber were blocked in 2024.This year, authorities banned calls via WhatsApp, Russia’s most popular messaging app, and telegram, the second most popular. Roskomnadzor justified these bans by claiming the apps were being used for criminal activity.