Russia's telecommunications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has blocked access to Apple's FaceTime video conferencing platform and the Snapchat instant messaging service. The regulator claims both platforms are being used to coordinate terrorist attacks, recruit criminals, and commit fraud against Russian citizens.
Blocked Platforms and Rationale
In a statement released on Thursday, Roskomnadzor said law enforcement agencies identified FaceTime as being utilized "to organize and carry out terrorist attacks in the country, recruit their perpetrators, commit fraudulent and other crimes against our citizens."
While the public announcement was made recently, the regulator stated that Snapchat had been blocked earlier on October 10, in accordance with rules for the centralized management of the public communication network.
FaceTime is Apple's proprietary videotelephony platform preinstalled on its iOS and macOS devices. Snapchat is a globally popular instant messaging service, with over 1 billion downloads for its Android version alone.
Broader Crackdown on Foreign Tech
This move is part of a broader crackdown on foreign tech services by the Russian government.
On Wednesday, Roskomnadzor also banned the Roblox online gaming platform, alleging it failed to stop the distribution of what the watchdog described as LGBT propaganda and extremist materials. Furthermore, the Russian news agency Interfax reported on Friday that Russia is planning to ban Meta's WhatsApp messaging platform, which is used by billions worldwide.
Over the past year, Roskomnadzor blocked the Viber encrypted messaging app and the Signal encrypted messaging service for violating the country's anti extremism and anti terrorism legislation. In March 2023, the government also banned state agencies from using foreign private messaging platforms, including Discord, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp, and WeChat, citing their failure to remove "misinformation."
Found this article interesting? Follow us on X(Twitter) ,Threads and FaceBook to read more exclusive content we post.
