Overview
- Roskomnadzor announced on December 4 that FaceTime is restricted nationwide, with Moscow users reporting failed connections and “User unavailable” messages.
- Officials claimed FaceTime was used for organizing terrorist acts, recruiting perpetrators and committing fraud, though no public evidence accompanied the allegations.
- Russia confirmed Snapchat has been blocked since October under similar security justifications, adding to a growing roster of restricted U.S. services.
- The latest actions follow partial limits on WhatsApp and Telegram calling, a recent block on Roblox, and earlier curbs or bans on Facebook, Instagram, X, Signal and YouTube access.
- Authorities are steering users toward the domestic Max app, which critics say lacks end-to-end encryption and will share data on request, while ongoing VPN crackdowns hinder circumvention.