According to TechRadar, Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has officially banned two major Western platforms: Roblox and Apple’s FaceTime. The ban on Roblox, which has over 151 million daily active users globally, was announced on December 3, with authorities claiming it exposes children to harmful content. FaceTime is alleged to be used for organizing terrorism and fraud. Users began reporting FaceTime failures as early as September, suggesting a quiet, phased rollout before the official action. These blocks immediately disrupt communication and online play for millions of Russians, especially younger users. This comes just days after Roskomnadzor threatened a full block on WhatsApp, continuing a steady stream of restrictions since 2022.
The domestic push and digital isolation
So here’s the thing: this isn’t just about blocking a couple of apps. It’s a systematic reshaping of the country’s entire digital ecosystem. With foreign platforms getting the axe, the state is aggressively pushing domestic alternatives. Take the messaging app MAX, for instance. It’s now mandated to be pre-installed on every phone sold in Russia and is billed as a “safe” replacement. But critics warn it lacks the encryption and privacy guarantees of services like WhatsApp or Telegram. That raises some pretty serious questions, doesn’t it? Is the goal truly safety, or is it about creating a controlled, monitorable digital space where secure, private communication with the outside world becomes a relic?
The VPN lifeline is fraying
For years, the answer to any new block in Russia has been simple: get a VPN. And that’s exactly what millions have done. But that lifeline is getting cut, too. Roskomnadzor isn’t sitting back. It’s actively escalating efforts to detect and restrict VPN traffic through its TSPU filtering system, which now identifies and throttles many common VPN protocols. To make matters worse, new laws make even sharing information on how to bypass blocks a punishable offense. Basically, the cat-and-mouse game has entered a much more dangerous phase for users.
Adapting to the new normal
Look, the trajectory is clear. The digital Iron Curtain is getting thicker. The bans on Roblox and FaceTime are just the latest bricks in the wall. The state’s strategy has two prongs: eliminate the foreign options and then degrade the tools used to circumvent the bans. Some VPN providers are adapting with stealth techniques, and services like Amnezia VPN are offering discounts to Russian users whose old VPNs failed. But it’s an arms race. The real impact, as detailed in reports like this one from Novaya Gazeta, is a population being slowly but surely disconnected from global platforms, pushed into state-sanctioned channels. The future isn’t a sudden blackout; it’s a gradual, exhausting squeeze on digital freedom.
