Russian authorities have widened their restrictions on global communication platforms, blocking two major Western services in one day.
On Thursday, the state regulator Roskomnadzor cut access to Snapchat and limited Apple’s FaceTime.
Officials claimed the measures were meant to prevent terrorism and fraud, though many observers see them as part of a broader effort to control digital communication within the country.
More: Russia Threatens to Block WhatsApp as Government Promotes State-Run MAX App
According to a statement circulated by state media, Snapchat was being used “to organize and carry out terrorist activities in the country” and to enable fraud and other crimes.
Hours earlier, Roskomnadzor gave nearly identical reasons when it announced limits on FaceTime. Both services had been unreliable for weeks, with users reporting failed connections long before the government made any formal announcement.
Snapchat, which had over seven million users in Russia in 2022, is now inaccessible without a VPN.
FaceTime’s voice and video calls are similarly blocked, although some users say encrypted calls can still work if routed outside Russian servers.
These bans reflect a wider push to steer users away from encrypted or foreign apps toward domestic platforms that meet Russia’s data regulations.
Roskomnadzor has also targeted WhatsApp, accusing it of repeated legal violations and warning that a complete block may follow if the Meta-owned messenger refuses to store user data locally.
The internet rights group Na Svyazi said the latest restrictions are intended to move users toward Max, a state-operated “super app” that combines messaging, banking, and document storage.
The group claims the platform allows authorities “full access” to private conversations, which directly undermines the privacy protections that apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp provide.
The government’s crackdown has spread beyond messaging. A day before Snapchat and FaceTime were restricted, Roskomnadzor also blocked Roblox, accusing the US-based gaming platform of spreading extremist content and promoting “LGBT propaganda.” Roblox was Russia’s most downloaded mobile game as recent as 2023.
This campaign continues a trend that began after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Facebook, Instagram, and X were banned, followed later by restrictions on encrypted apps such as Signal.
Officials consistently cite security concerns but have not released evidence supporting the claims.
Encryption lies at the center of the dispute. Services like FaceTime protect calls with end-to-end encryption, preventing both Apple and government agencies from accessing the contents of conversations. That privacy feature, designed to keep users safe, also makes such tools undesirable for governments that seek to monitor communications.
Officials described the move against FaceTime as a necessary safety step.
Without proof of criminal use, however, it appears more like an attempt to eliminate communication tools that resist state oversight. Apple has not confirmed whether authorities issued any formal requests before the block began.
With FaceTime restricted and WhatsApp under scrutiny, Max has quickly become the state’s promoted alternative.
The platform was introduced in 2025 to handle calls, messaging, payments, and identity services within one system. Unlike Apple’s encrypted software, Max operates fully within Russia’s surveillance and data storage requirements.
