- Russia blocks access to FaceTime and Roblox
- This comes a few days after threatening a complete ban on WhatsApp
- Russia is also escalating efforts to detect and restrict VPNs
Russia continues to expand its crackdown on digital freedom, this time blocking two more major Western platforms: FaceTime and Roblox. The move is already a major disruption to how millions of Russians communicate and play online, with users reporting sudden disconnections and connection failures on both services.
Yet it is far from isolated. Since 2022, a steady stream of restrictions have targeted Western apps, networks and services, with Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, threatening to fully block WhatsApp just a few days ago.
While authorities motivate the blocks as a way to stop terrorism and protect children’s online safety, restrictions are reshaping digital life across Russia and isolating millions of Russians from global technology platforms. And while all this pushes the citizens against best VPN apps VPN usage is also increasingly under threat.
Social apps under fire: Roblox and FaceTime join the banned list
According to reports, Roskomnadzor has officially added two major Western-owned platforms, Roblox and FaceTime, to its list of banned services.
As reported by Pakinomist, Roskomnadzor said on December 3 that Roblox was blocked because the platform allegedly exposes children to sexual harassment and spreads “extremist material” and “LGBT propaganda,” claiming it contains content that could harm children’s “spiritual and moral development.”
For a service with over 151 million daily active users worldwide, many of whom are children and teenagers, the ban is a major blow to Russia’s younger online community.
Meanwhile, authorities also claim that FaceTime is being used to organize terrorism, recruit criminals and carry out fraud.
There have been users reporting failed FaceTime calls starting back in September – with restrictions on Telegram and WhatsApp also reported – suggesting that FaceTime blocking may have been quietly phased in before the platform’s official ban.
For many Russians, especially younger people and families, the recent bans on Roblox and FaceTime drastically reduce their opportunities for digital socializing and communication.
As foreign platforms are increasingly blocked or slowed by Roskomnadzor, many Russians are being pushed towards state-backed alternatives like MAX. The messaging app was ordered to be pre-installed on all phones sold in the country and is being actively pushed as a “safe” domestic replacement.
However, critics warn that MAX lacks the privacy and freedom offered by its encrypted Western counterparts. This has raised growing concerns about state surveillance and the loss of secure communication tools.
VPN access is still possible, but government pressure is increasing
For now, VPN services remain one of the few ways for Russians to regain access to blocked platforms like FaceTime and Roblox. This provides a potential lifeline for communication and entertainment amid growing state censorship. But that lifeline is also becoming increasingly fragile.
Rokomnadzor has increased its efforts this year identify and block VPN traffic. Its TSPU filtering system now detects many VPN protocols, meaning that many services that previously worked are routinely scrubbed or even completely unusable.
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In addition, new laws have made sharing information about how to bypass censorship blocks (including via VPNs) a criminal offence. Despite these efforts by the Russian authorities, some VPNs continue to adapt. Typically, they rely on “stealth” or obfuscation techniques that make their traffic harder to detect.
Designed to work precisely in highly censored environments, Russian provider Amnezia VPN has begun offering a 50% discount on a six-month Premium subscription to Russian users whose existing VPNs have stopped working. This offer highlights how important censorship-resistant VPNs have become in maintaining access to blocked platforms.
