Overview
- Roskomnadzor confirmed new restrictions on Apple’s FaceTime and disclosed that Snapchat was technically blocked on October 10, with the moves publicly announced this week.
- The regulator and law enforcement accuse both platforms of facilitating the organization of terrorist acts, recruitment of perpetrators, and large-scale fraud against Russian users.
- Senior State Duma figures backed the steps, with Anton Nemkin calling them justified for public safety and Sergei Gavrilov highlighting schemes that exploit FaceTime video calls.
- Industry reports and user complaints indicate recent disruptions to VPN services after Roskomnadzor updated threat-mitigation systems, including blocking SOCKS5, VLESS, and L2TP protocols in several regions.
- The actions form part of a broader campaign against foreign platforms that has included pressure on WhatsApp and blocks on other services, as authorities promote the domestic MAX messenger; Apple and Snap have not commented.