FaceTime banned in Russia
Russian authorities have blocked Apple's video calling service, FaceTime, claiming it is being used for criminal purposes.
Russia blocks Apple's FaceTime in mounting push against foreign tech platforms | Reuters
Russia restricts FaceTime, its latest step in controlling online communications - Washington Times
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/dec/4/russia-restricts-facetime-latest-step-controlling-online/
Russia blocks FaceTime in ongoing crackdown of foreign tech platforms | Macworld
https://www.macworld.com/article/3001146/russia-blocks-facetime-in-ongoing-crackdown-of-foreign-tech-platforms.html
According to Reuters, when you launch FaceTime in Russia, you'll see the message 'User unavailable.'
Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications and information technology regulator, justified blocking FaceTime by saying that 'FaceTime is being used to organize and carry out terrorist activities in Russia, recruit perpetrators, defraud citizens, and commit other crimes.'
Russia has cracked down on foreign platforms in recent years. Major social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram have been blocked since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram have had some restrictions on calling functions in the name of counter-terrorism.
Russia partially restricts WhatsApp and Telegram calls, accusing them of being used for blackmail and terrorist activities - GIGAZINE
While Russians can still bypass some restrictions by using VPNs, they are routinely blocked. In the summer of 2025, a large-scale shutdown of smartphone internet access was carried out. Authorities claim this was a necessary measure to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts say it marks another step in tightening internet control.
Authorities have aggressively promoted the domestically produced messaging app MAX, requiring it to be pre-installed on all smartphones sold in Russia, including iPhones, but some see it as a surveillance tool.
'Since the ban on WhatsApp and Telegram calls, perhaps tens of millions of Russians have been using FaceTime,' said Stanislav Seleznev, a cybersecurity expert and lawyer at the human rights organization NetFreedom. 'The restrictions on FaceTime are expected, and it's clear that services that don't cooperate with Roskomnadzor will be blocked.'
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