Russia has blocked Snapchat and restricted FaceTime, accusing their use for terrorist activities.

The Russian communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has intensified its campaign against foreign messaging platforms, blocking Snapchat and restricting access to FaceTime. Roskomnadzor stated that Snapchat was being used to organize terrorist activities and facilitate fraud. The app, which had 7.6 million users in Russia in 2022, was targeted on the same day that restrictions on voice and video calls on FaceTime, an important video calling service, were imposed.

The measures come amid increased pressure on WhatsApp, which has nearly 100 million users in Russia, and the authority recently warned about the possible complete blocking of this application. Users have reported interruptions in FaceTime calls starting from September, and the recent announcement confirms the actions of the authorities against these platforms.