• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

Following the prohibition of Facebook, Instagram and X, Russia has officially banned citizens from accessing Snapchat and Apple's FaceTime app, according to a report by Bloomberg.

According to the report, Roskomnadzor -- the federal Russian communications agency -- issued a public statement alleging that Snapchat and FaceTime have been used “to organize and carry out terrorist acts” within the country.

Russia restricted access to encrypted messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram over the summer, following a years-long ban on other major Western-operated social media platforms, including limiting access to YouTube.

Earlier this week, Russia also blocked access to immersive gaming platform Roblox.

Government efforts to cut citizens off from Western communications services is further exemplified by Russia's decision to force phone companies in the region to install the state-controlled messaging MAX on all mobile devices.

While FaceTime is directly tied to almost 1.5 billion Apple devices across the globe, Snapchat's loss of 8 million Russia-based users could have a major impact on the company's current growth struggles.

Over the past two quarters, Snapchat has shown signs of stagnation with its user base, especially in Western markets.

In Q3, the company did not add any new users in the U.S. or Europe.

Losing over 8 million users in Russia adds another challenge for a company whose CEO recently declared its status as a “crucible moment” and laid out plans to reach 1 billion users while accelerating its ad business.

Furthermore, Snap is slated to lose over half a million more users when Australia implements its under-16 social media ban next week.