Russia’s telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has blocked access to Apple’s FaceTime and Snapchat, citing concerns that the platforms are being used to coordinate terrorist activities.
The agency claims the two services are also being misused to recruit criminals, carry out fraud, and commit other crimes targeting Russian citizens. In a statement released on Thursday, officials said that FaceTime had been used to plan and organize attacks inside the country, as well as to recruit individuals involved in those incidents.
Although the announcement was made only today, Roskomnadzor revealed that Snapchat had already been blocked on October 10 as part of its centralized management of the national communications network. Snapchat remains one of the most widely used messaging platforms worldwide, with over one billion downloads on Android and more than five million ratings on the App Store.
FaceTime, which comes preinstalled on Apple devices, is one of the most popular video calling tools globally. Apple and Snap did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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