Russia’s state communications regulator has escalated its efforts against foreign messaging services, blocking Snapchat on Thursday, just hours after limiting access to video and voice calls on Apple’s FaceTime.
According to a statement reported by state media, Roskomnadzor claimed that Snapchat was being utilized “to coordinate and execute terrorist activities within the country” as well as to facilitate fraud and other illegal activities.
The app, known for its temporary photo and video messages, had around 7.6 million users in Russia as of 2022.
Earlier in the day, Roskomnadzor offered a similar justification for imposing restrictions on Apple’s FaceTime, even as users in Russia had already begun experiencing issues with the app since September.
The Moscow Times attempted to place several FaceTime calls to people in Russia but encountered connectivity problems. However, users can still make video and voice calls through the app by enabling a VPN.
Thursday’s announcement was the first official acknowledgment that authorities had taken action against both Snapchat and FaceTime.
These restrictions come as Roskomnadzor intensifies its scrutiny of WhatsApp, the most popular messaging platform in the country with nearly 100 million users.
Last week, the watchdog cautioned that a complete ban on WhatsApp could be imminent, alleging the Meta-owned platform’s noncompliance with Russia’s data localization regulations and citing repeated legal infractions related to supposed terrorist activities and fraud.
Despite the government’s assertions regarding terrorism, the internet rights organization Na Svyazi has accused officials of attempting to steer users towards Max, a government-supported messaging application that the group claims allows authorities unfettered access to private conversations.
The actions against FaceTime and Snapchat occurred just one day after Roskomnadzor restricted access to the U.S.-owned gaming platform Roblox, accusing it of disseminating extremist content, promoting “LGBT propaganda,” and “adversely affecting the spiritual and moral growth of children.”
Roblox was the most downloaded mobile game in Russia in 2023.
Mack Tubridy contributed to this report.
