Muscovites pass a former Apple stockist in Moscow, 10 February 2023. Photo: EPA / Yuri Kochetkov
Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked Apple’s FaceTime calling service on the grounds that it was being used to organise and carry out terror attacks, state-affiliated news outlet Gazeta.Ru reported on Thursday.
“According to law-enforcement agencies, the Facetime service is being used to organise and conduct terrorist activities within the country, to recruit perpetrators, and to commit fraud and other crimes against our citizens,” Roskomnadzor said.
Though no start date for the block was given, Russian users have reported problems using Facetime with a virtual private network (VPN) since September, just a month after Roskomnadzor blocked calls on Telegram and Whatsapp to “counter criminals”.
The move comes as the Russian authorities continue to crack down on VPN usage, with Roskomnadzor strengthening its threat-countering system (TSPU), which blocks user access to prohibited websites and controls connection speeds. The TSPU can now recognise three previously undetectable VPN protocols, making it far harder for Russians to circumvent Roskomnazdor censorship online.
In 2024, amendments to existing legislation were introduced prohibiting the dissemination of information on how to access blocked resources, intensifying Roskomnadzor’s action against VPNs.
