Russia blocks Snapchat and restricts Apple’s FaceTime, state officials say | Snapchat

Russian authorities have blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple’s video calling service FaceTime, according to state-run news agencies and the country’s communications regulator; This was the latest step in an effort to tighten control over the internet and online communications.

State internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed in a statement that both apps were “used to organize and conduct terrorist activities on the country’s territory and to recruit perpetrators.” [and] committing fraud and other crimes against our citizens.” Neither Apple responded to an emailed request for comment, nor did Snap Inc.

The Russian regulator said it took action against Snapchat on October 10, although it only reported the move on Thursday. The moves follow restrictions on Google’s YouTube, Meta’s WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service, which was itself founded by a Russian-born man and came in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Under Vladimir Putin, authorities have embarked on deliberate and multifaceted efforts to rein in the internet. They adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that did not comply with them. The technology has also been perfected for monitoring and managing online traffic.

Last year, access to YouTube was disrupted by what experts called a deliberate restriction of the hugely popular site by authorities. The Kremlin accused Google, which owns YouTube, of failing to properly protect its hardware in Russia.

While it is still possible to bypass some restrictions by using virtual private network services, these are also routinely blocked.

Authorities further restricted internet access this summer, with widespread disruptions to mobile phone internet connections. Officials insisted the measure was necessary to thwart Ukraine’s drone attacks, but experts argued it was another step towards tightening internet control. Dozens of regions have created “white lists” of government-approved sites and services that are expected to operate despite the shutdown.

The government has also taken action against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messaging Signal and another popular application, Viber, were blocked in 2024. This year, authorities banned calls via WhatsApp, Russia’s most popular messaging app, followed closely by Telegram. Roskomnadzor justified the measure by saying the two apps were being used for criminal activities.

At the same time, authorities actively promoted a “national” messaging app called Max, which critics saw as a surveillance tool. The platform, promoted by developers and authorities as a one-stop shop for messaging, online government services, making payments and more, clearly states that it will share user data with authorities upon request. Experts say it also doesn’t use end-to-end encryption.

Earlier this week, the government also announced that it had blocked Roblox, a popular online gaming platform, saying the move was aimed at protecting children from illegal content and “pedophiles who directly meet minors in the game’s chats and then move into real life.” Roblox was Russia’s second most popular gaming platform with nearly 8 million monthly users in October, according to media monitoring group Mediascope.

Stanislav Seleznev, a cybersecurity expert and lawyer for the rights group Net Freedom, said Russian law considers any platforms where users can message each other as “regulating the dissemination of information.”

This label requires platforms to have an account with Roskomnadzor; so that Roskomnadzor can submit its demands and grant Russia’s security service, the FSB, access to user accounts for monitoring purposes; Seleznev said that those who do not comply are in violation and can be blocked.

Seleznev estimates that tens of millions of Russians are probably using FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He said restrictions on the service were “predictable” and warned that other sites that did not cooperate with Roskomnadzor “will be blocked – that’s very clear.”