Russian authorities have blocked access to Snapchat and have imposed restrictions on Apple’s FaceTime, marking the latest move in tightening control over online communications, according to state agencies and the country’s communications regulator.
Roskomnadzor has alleged, as per media reports, that the apps have been “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 and Snap Inc. have not responded to requests for comment.
The regulator has said action against Snapchat was taken on 10 October, although the measure has only been reported now. The restrictions have followed earlier actions against YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Under Vladimir Putin, authorities have adopted restrictive laws, have banned non-compliant platforms and have honed technologies to monitor and manipulate internet traffic. Access to YouTube has been disrupted last year in what experts have called deliberate throttling, though the Kremlin has blamed the platform’s hardware issues in Russia.
Virtual private networks have been routinely blocked, even as users have relied on them to bypass restrictions. Authorities have further limited internet access this summer with widespread shutdowns of mobile internet services, insisting the steps have been needed to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, while experts have viewed them as another tool for digital control. Government-approved “white lists” of functioning sites have been introduced across several regions.
The government has also acted against major messaging services. Signal and Viber have been blocked in 2024, while WhatsApp and Telegram calls have been banned this year. Roskomnadzor has justified these measures by saying the apps have been used for criminal activities.
Meanwhile, a state-backed messenger called Max has been actively promoted as a one-stop communication and services app, despite concerns that it lacks end-to-end encryption and shares data with authorities upon request.
Earlier this week, the government said it is blocking Roblox to protect children from illicit content and exploitation. The platform has been among the most popular gaming services in Russia, with nearly 8 million monthly users in October, according to Mediascope.
Stanislav Seleznev, a cybersecurity expert and lawyer with the Net Freedom rights group, has said Russian law classifies platforms with messaging features as “organizers of dissemination of information,” requiring compliance with government monitoring demands. He has estimated that tens of millions of Russians have used FaceTime after calling restrictions on other apps and has warned that further platforms unwilling to cooperate “will be blocked – that’s obvious.”
