Overview
- Roskomnadzor confirmed a nationwide block on FaceTime, claiming without public evidence that it is used to organize terrorist attacks and other crimes.
- iMessage continues to work in Russia, raising questions about why it was not restricted alongside FaceTime.
- Online analysts suggest iMessage traffic may share endpoints with Apple Push Notification service, meaning a block could halt push notifications across iOS.
- The theory is contested because FaceTime also relies on APNs, and experts note governments could pursue harder-to-implement options such as targeting Apple Identity Services.
- Some observers point to iMessage’s limited adoption in Russia as a non-technical reason for its availability, and Apple has not publicly commented.