US EditionRoskomnadzor Confirms It’s Blocking Snapchat and FaceTime Calls
Roskomnadzor cited terrorism and fraud as reasons for blocking Snapchat and FaceTime, affecting millions amid wider restrictions on foreign apps in Russia.
- On Thursday, Roskomnadzor confirmed it blocked Snapchat and restricted Apple's FaceTime in Russia, saying the measures were taken on October 10.
- Roskomnadzor said it warned last week of full blocks over repeated violations and noncompliance with Russian data-localization laws, accusing Snapchat and FaceTime of enabling terrorist acts and fraud.
- With 7.6 million Russian Snapchat users, the block affects millions, while FaceTime disruptions began in September with some users still connecting via VPN and The Moscow Times failing calls.
- The Kremlin has promoted MAX, developed by VK, which has been mandatory on all new phones since September/1 and shares user data with authorities, Na Svyazi warned.
- Amid a broader internet crackdown, authorities have intensified efforts since Russia's full-scale invasion, blocking X, Facebook, Instagram, disrupting YouTube last year, and blocking Signal, Viber, WhatsApp, and Telegram calls in 2024.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Vladimir Putin keeps cutting off his own people. In an unprecedented clean-up action, the Kremlin is blocking numerous messengers such as Snapchat and FaceTime. The digital shutdown is followed by further steps of state control.
The Russian Communications Supervisory Authority, Roskomnadzor, intensified the campaign against foreign message platforms, blocking Snapchat joi, just a few hours after restricting access to Apple's Facebook service, writes The Moscow Times.
Russia's state communications watchdog has stepped up its campaign against foreign messaging platforms, blocking Snapchat on Thursday just hours after restricting access to Apple's FaceTime service. Roskomnadzor said Snapchat was being used "to organize and carry out terrorist activities in the country" and to facilitate fraud and other crimes, according to a statement published by state media. The app, famous for its disappearing photo and vide…
The list of banned apps is expanding, which could affect millions of Russian users.
The Russian government is clamping down increasingly hard on foreign tech platforms. YouTube, WhatsApp, the messaging service Telegram, and the gaming platform Roblox have already been blocked.
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