Russia blocks FaceTime services

Russia has lost access to Apple's video and audio calling service FaceTime, with local media reporting that the block has been confirmed by the national regulator after months of intermittent disruptions across the country.

Source: Russian news outlets

Details: According to Russian officials, the decision is supposedly linked to "security threats" and the use of FaceTime in unlawful activities. Since September 2025, users had been experiencing regular outages, though no formal explanations had been issued until now.

The blocking of FaceTime is the latest restriction following the disruption of calls on Telegram and WhatsApp in August. Over recent months, Russian users have increasingly looked for alternatives for voice and video communication. Now FaceTime, too, is officially unavailable. Meanwhile, a Telegram knock-off app called Telega, which spies on users, is being actively promoted among Russians.

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