Russia blocks FaceTime in its latest move to lock down digital communication and push users toward government backed services. The nationwide block targets Apple’s encrypted video calling platform along with Snapchat access, with regulators claiming both are used to organise terrorist acts, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud. FaceTime joins a growing list of services that are either heavily restricted or unusable in Russia, which now includes Roblox as well.
For iPhone and iPad users, the change is already visible. FaceTime stillopens and appears normal, but calls inside Russia now fail with a “User unavailable” message, which usually appears when a call cannot connect. That strongly suggests blocking at the network level rather than changes inside iOS. Apple has kept FaceTime end-to-end encrypted and has not removed the app, so the pressure is effectively being applied on the local internet infrastructure instead of the App Store. In practice, Russia blocks FaceTime without Apple having to ship a special version for the country.
This fits a broader pattern. Since 2022, authorities have built a more tightly controlled internet where foreign platforms sit behind technical and legal barriers. Facebook, Instagram and X are blocked, TikTok runs a restricted Russian-only feed, and YouTube usage is regularly disrupted with throttling and performance issues. Each step narrows the space for global apps and gradually pushes users onto services that are easier to monitor or influence.
Messaging apps have been at the centre of this strategy. Signal and Viber are banned, while voice and video calls on WhatsApp and Telegram were blocked earlier this year. Text messaging on those platforms is also heavily restricted. When those calling options disappeared, many iPhone users quietly shifted their private conversations to FaceTime instead. By taking that route away now, Russia blocks FaceTime at the moment it had become a default encrypted fallback for Apple users.
Snapchat has been pulled into the same crackdown. Access to the app was reportedly cut off in October, but the decision has only recently been publicised. Regulators say it is used to coordinate criminal activity, mirroring the language used about FaceTime. Roblox, which is popular with younger audiences, has also been blocked over accusations of extremist content and material that officials say violates rules on “LGBT propaganda”. Across very different platforms, the justification is the same: claims of security risks that require strong technical controls.
Alongside these bans, the state is promoting its own messenger app, Max. The service is being positioned as an all-in-one platform for messaging, payments and access to government services. Since 1 September 2025, Max has been mandatory on all new smartphones and tablets sold in Russia, including iPhones. The app is marketed as more secure and better at preventing fraud, but privacy advocates warn that its deep integration with government systems could give authorities far more visibility into everyday conversations than foreign encrypted apps ever did.
For Apple users inside Russia, the daily experience is now a patchwork of workarounds and compromises. Some people will try virtual private networks to restore access to FaceTime, Snapchat or Roblox, but VPN services are themselves being blocked or throttled. Others will fall back to regular phone calls, SMS, or local messaging platforms that are more closely aligned with state rules. The more Russia blocks FaceTime and similar tools, the harder it becomes to rely on the same iPhone communication habits that work elsewhere.
Apple remains in a familiar position. It is keeping FaceTime end-to-end encrypted and has declined to provide decryption access to Russian security agencies, but it also has limited leverage over what happens on local networks. From the outside, this looks like a clear test of how far a company can protect its privacy features when a government is willing to simply cut off access rather than negotiate technical compromises.
At the same time, Russia’s strategy is about more than just Apple or a single app. By blocking FaceTime, tightening controls on WhatsApp and Snapchat, and promoting Max as the standard messenger, the state is reshaping what “normal” communication looks like inside its borders. For now, Russia blocks FaceTime and other tools in the name of security, but the practical outcome is a more centralised, state directed digital ecosystem where users have fewer independent options and far less privacy by default.
(via Reuters)
