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Two more Western platforms fall as Russia continues to tighten its digital grip
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- Russia blocks access to FaceTime and Roblox
- This comes a few days after threatening a full ban on WhatsApp
- Russia is escalating efforts to detect and restrict VPNs, too
Russia keeps expanding its crackdown on digital freedom, this time blocking two more major Western platforms: FaceTime and Roblox. The move is already a major disruption in how millions of Russians communicate and play online, with users reporting sudden outages and connection failures on both services.
Yet, it's far from isolated. Since 2022, a steady stream of restrictions has targeted Western apps, networks, and services, with Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, threatening a full block on WhatsApp only a few days ago.
While authorities motivate the blocks as a way to halt terrorism and protect children's online safety, restrictions are reshaping digital life across Russia, isolating millions of Russians from global tech platforms. And while all this pushes citizens towards the best VPN apps, VPN usage is also increasingly under threat.
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Social apps under fire: Roblox and FaceTime join the banned list
According to reports, Roskomnadzor has officially added two big Western-owned platforms, Roblox and FaceTime, to its list of forbidden services.
As reported by Reuters, on December 3, Roskomnadzor said Roblox was being blocked because the platform allegedly exposes children to sexual harassers, and spreads “extremist materials” 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 across the world, many of whom are children and teens, the ban is a major blow to Russia's younger online community.
Meanwhile, authorities also allege that FaceTime is being used to organize terrorism, recruit criminals, and carry out fraud.
There have been users who reported failed FaceTime calls starting back in September – when restrictions on Telegram and WhatsApp have also been 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 shrink their options for digital socializing and communication.
Since foreign platforms are increasingly blocked or throttled by Roskomnadzor, many Russians are being pushed toward 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.
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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 remains possible, but state pressure is mounting
For now, VPN services remain one of the few ways for Russians to regain access to blocked platforms like FaceTime and Roblox. This offers a potential lifeline for communication and entertainment under growing state censorship. However, that lifeline, too, is becoming increasingly fragile.
Rokomnadzor has ramped up its efforts this year to identify and block VPN traffic. Its TSPU filtering system now detects many VPN protocols, meaning many services that previously worked are routinely throttled or even completely unusable.
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Additionally, new laws have made sharing information about how to bypass censorship blocks (including via VPNs) punishable. 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 exactly in high-censored environments, Russian provider Amnezia VPN has begun offering a 50% discount on a six-month Premium subscription for Russian users whose existing VPNs have stopped working. This offer highlights how important censorship-resistant VPNs have become for maintaining access to blocked platforms.
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Monica J. WhiteSocial Links NavigationContributing WriterMonica is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience. She writes about the latest developments in computing, which means anything from computer chips made out of paper to cutting-edge desktop processors.
GPUs are her main area of interest, and nothing thrills her quite like that time every couple of years when new graphics cards hit the market.
She built her first PC nearly 20 years ago, and dozens of builds later, she’s always planning out her next build (or helping her friends with theirs). During her career, Monica has written for many tech-centric outlets, including Digital Trends, SlashGear, WePC, and Tom’s Hardware.
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"A wider campaign against human rights" – Experts condemn Russia's escalation against VPNs and encrypted apps
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