Overview
- Roskomnadzor said FaceTime and Snapchat were used to organize terrorist acts, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud against Russian citizens.
- The regulator offered no supporting evidence for the claims; Apple had not immediately commented and Snap declined to comment.
- FaceTime calling is now restricted nationwide, with users reporting “User unavailable” errors, though connections can still work via VPN.
- The agency said Snapchat was blocked earlier but announced it now, and it also blocked Roblox a day earlier over alleged extremist content and other violations.
- The actions extend years of limits on Western platforms, including bans on WhatsApp and Telegram calls, as critics warn users are being steered toward the state-backed Max app.