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Used to organize and carry out terrorist activities, Russia blocks access to the 'Snapchat' network
2025-12-05 11:23:44 / BOTA
Russian authorities blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime, in the latest step in an effort to increase control over the internet and online communications.
The state internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, said the two apps were being used to “organize and carry out terrorist activities, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud and other crimes against citizens.” Apple and Snap Inc. did not respond to requests for comment.
According to The Guardian , Roskomnadzor said the action against Snapchat was taken on October 10, but was only reported last week. The move follows restrictions previously imposed on YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram, following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Under Putin's rule, authorities have launched a systematic effort to curb the internet, passing restrictive laws and banning platforms that don't adhere to the rules. Technology is also being used to monitor and manipulate online traffic.
The shutdown of access to YouTube last year was considered a deliberate restriction of the site by the authorities, who blamed Google for failing to maintain its equipment in Russia.
Although some restrictions can be circumvented with virtual private networks (VPNs), they are regularly blocked. Authorities have cut off mobile internet connections to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, with experts seeing the measures as a way to tighten control over the internet.
In addition, several messaging platforms have been blocked, including Signal and Viber in 2024, and WhatsApp and Telegram this year. Authorities promote a national messaging app, Max, which has been criticized as a surveillance tool because it shares user data with authorities and does not use full encryption.
Earlier this week, the government announced the blocking of Roblox, a popular online gaming platform, on the grounds of protecting children from illegal content and pedophiles. Roblox had nearly 8 million monthly users in October.
Cybersecurity expert Stanislav Seleznev explained that Russian law considers any messaging platform to be an "organizer of information distribution," and requires platforms to register with Roskomnadzor and provide access to user accounts to the FSB.
Seleznev estimated that tens of millions of Russians were using FaceTime, especially after the blocking of WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions “predictable” and warned that platforms that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor “will be blocked — that’s clear.”
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