Russia Blocks Apple's FaceTime Amid Crackdown on Encrypted Apps

[MacRumors]

Russia has blocked Apple's FaceTime video calling app in an ongoing effort to eliminate private communication methods, reports Reuters. Russia claims FaceTime is being used for criminal activity, and that blocking the app is a legitimate law enforcement measure. Social network Snapchat and multiplayer gaming platform Roblox were also banned this week.

Multiple other apps and services have been blocked in Russia previously. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Discord, and LinkedIn are unavailable and can't be accessed without a VPN. Russia throttles YouTube heavily to make it almost unusable, and since 2022, TikTok has had a Russia-only feed that does not include content from other countries.

Viber and Signal are banned in the country, and Russians are not able to make calls through WhatsApp or Telegram as of earlier this year. Messaging on those apps is also restricted.

In a statement to Reuters, Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor said the following:

According to law enforcement agencies, FaceTime is being used to organise and carry out terrorist attacks in the country, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud and other crimes against Russian citizens.

FaceTime is now restricted nationwide, and has likely been blocked at the network level, so it may still be accessible through a VPN. Moscow residents are seeing a "User unavailable" message when attempting to use FaceTime, which is the error displayed when a FaceTime call is unable to connect. The app still opens and activates, so Apple hasn't removed it.

Russia claims that the app is used for coordinating illegal activity, with no option for the Federal Security Service (FSB) to monitor calls. Apple has declined to allow the FSB to access FaceTime traffic, and the company has not budged on end-to-end encryption.

FaceTime likely wasn't banned earlier because Russia initially focused on more widely used apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. When voice and video calling were banned in those apps, Russians transitioned to FaceTime as an alternative, making it a government target.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Russia Blocks Apple's FaceTime Amid Crackdown on Encrypted Apps

 

[rictus007]

No surprise coming from Russia, I wonder is this will ever happen in “western countries”. Sometimes we take our liberties for granted.

 

[coolfactor]

No surprise coming from Russia, I wonder is this will ever happen in “western countries”. Sometimes we take our liberties for granted.

If the current administration had its way, it would become Russia+China 2.0.

I would not want to be born and raised in either country, but on the flip side, are there advantages? Is the current way of life here in the West actually ruining the future of mankind? It's possible.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

Snapchat too

 

[Böhme417]

So, when they start saying people’s mouths are being used to organise and carry out terrorist attacks in the country, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud and other crimes against Russian citizens, they’ll just start sewing everyone’s lips shut? Ban pens and paper?

 

[ryanmp]

No surprise coming from Russia, I wonder is this will ever happen in “western countries”. Sometimes we take our liberties for granted.

No where near the extent of Russia, but let's not think things like this aren't happening in "western countries". UK's obsession with backdoors into encrypted messaging apps, US crying about "national security" on everything China related such as TikTok, there are so many examples.

 

[miric]

Vso pravilno sdelat 😂

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

No surprise coming from Russia, I wonder is this will ever happen in “western countries”. Sometimes we take our liberties for granted.

If the EU passes more extreme versions chat control, it will.

 

[Hogswarts]

Meta has clearly given Russia a backdoor into WhatsApp communications.

 

[Martin Bland]

Paranoia like this is a most reassuring sign that the Russian government feels increasingly uneasy about its survival. May they ban more apps.

 

[neuropsychguy]

If the current administration had its way, it would become Russia+China 2.0.

I would not want to be born and raised in either country, but on the flip side, are there advantages? Is the current way of life here in the West actually ruining the future of mankind? It's possible.

For all its faults (including Paragon's work with ICE [there are many more, but that's more relevant because it's an invasion of privacy]), actions like this are not something the current administration would do (and I'm no fan of the Trump administration).

When the UK implemented the Investigatory Powers Act, which called for a backdoor into iCloud encryption, the Trump administration directly negotiated with UK officials to drop the demand. Then there was the whole issue with Signal being used by government officials, which was a significant scandal but it also shows that the current administration gives both implicit and explicit support to encrypted apps. The president also signed the Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology executive order, which supports public blockchain networks and digital currency wallets. This executive order thus implicitly protects the cryptographic keys and encryption methods to secure digital assets.

Edit: I'm open to a nice discussion about this. My request is that rather than giving me a thumbs up or thumbs down, state why and what you do or do not agree with. I have not seen any serious indication that the Trump administration is encouraging backdoors into encrypted software or wanting to ban encrypted apps.

 

[iPay]

Coming from Russia, it's a seal of approval for Apple security mechanisms.

 

[Apple Fan 2008]

If the EU passes more extreme versions chat control, it will.

Same if the US Congress fully gives in to the same thing.

 

[indychris]

Coming from Russia, it's a seal of approval for Apple security mechanisms.

Apple is totally in bed with China and India. I have friends in China in a complex for ex-pats. The entire place is bugged. You think that China isn't tracking chats? I guarantee you the Chinese Gov't is accessing the 'encrypted' messages of their citizens.

 

[Sandstorm]

In my opinion, all Western tech (and other) companies should stop providing ANY services to rogue, aggressively hostile dictatorships, among which russia currently is one of the worst and most reprehensible.

 

[ppetrovic]

Apple is totally in bed with China and India. I have friends in China in a complex for ex-pats. The entire place is bugged. You think that China isn't tracking chats? I guarantee you the Chinese Gov't is accessing the 'encrypted' messages of their citizens.

True, but China and India are at least not waging a war against a neighboring nation (at least not yet, hint: Taiwan).

In my opinion, all Western tech (and other) companies should stop providing ANY services to rogue, aggressively hostile dictatorships, among which russia currently is one of the worst and most reprehensible.

As someone who used to live in a war zone a few decades ago, I have to say this is a very naive stance. Turning off straightforward means of encrypted and secure communication for ordinary citizens, of which many are fighting against a lunatic regime is often times completely counterproductive and serves only to antagonize "the West" so much more.

 

[BigBlur]

Meta has clearly given Russia a backdoor into WhatsApp communications.

Nope, at least not yet anyway... Video and voice are banned in WhatsApp (and Telegram) too.

FaceTime likely wasn't banned earlier because Russia initially focused on more widely used apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. When voice and video calling were banned in those apps, Russians transitioned to FaceTime as an alternative, making it a government target.

Texting is partially functional, but they're threatening to fully ban WhatsApp if Meta doesn't comply.

Russia Warns of Full WhatsApp Block as It Pushes Domestic Apps

Russia is moving toward a full block of messaging app WhatsApp after degrading the service for months, taking another step to replace Western communication and technology platforms with domestic ones.

www.bloomberg.com

 

[Regulus67]

Oh, this report troubles me. Because I stay in contact with a friend in Russia via FaceTime, either audio or video calls.
We have been in contact almost daily since 2009. And regular phone calls would be prohibitively expensive

Hardly anything internet related would have a deeper impact on my life. Unless internet gets blocked out via age verification requirements

 

[zarmanto]

Coming from Russia, it's a seal of approval for Apple security mechanisms.

Ah, yes. I can already hear the '50s style announcer's voice...

"Endorsed by Moscow! FaceTime is so secure, that Russia was forced to block it within their territories, in order to stop Ukrainian operatives from coordinating their efforts!

(Of course, espionage being what it is, I imagine that if there are any Ukrainian operatives still seeking to undermine Russia from within, that they already have yet another communication method at hand. You don't engage in that kind of business without backup plans.)

 

[Art Mark]

For all its faults (including Paragon's work with ICE [there are many more, but that's more relevant because it's an invasion of privacy]), actions like this are not something the current administration would do (and I'm no fan of the Trump administration).

When the UK implemented the Investigatory Powers Act, which called for a backdoor into iCloud encryption, the Trump administration directly negotiated with UK officials to drop the demand. Then there was the whole issue with Signal being used by government officials, which was a significant scandal but it also shows that the current administration gives both implicit and explicit support to encrypted apps. The president also signed the Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology executive order, which supports public blockchain networks and digital currency wallets. This executive order thus implicitly protects the cryptographic keys and encryption methods to secure digital assets.

Edit: I'm open to a nice discussion about this. My request is that rather than giving me a thumbs up or thumbs down, state why and what you do or do not agree with. I have not seen any serious indication that the Trump administration is encouraging backdoors into encrypted software or wanting to ban encrypted apps.

I believe you are naive. The only reason we don't see more abuse from this administration or any other is the rule of law and the Constitution and the courts. If this administration continues to fire and replace judges with those who simply carry out the orders of 'the ruler' then we will see more restrictions. Any personal tech issues that the orange one puts forward are self serving as he' simply trying to keep as much of his illegal activity private and beyond the eyes and ears of the law. He doesn't even want the FBI investigating those in Congress without the DOJ having to tell them they are under surveillance. His crypto schemes are simply bribes directed outside systems that can be examined .I wish your statements held intellectual weight instead of unrealistic theories with not fully formed examinations of the issues in play.