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As part of a ongoing crackdown to exert greater control over online communications, state regulators have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were utilized to plan and execute acts of terrorism within the country, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes against citizens.

The regulator stated it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat back on the 10th of October, although the announcement was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

This recent action come after previous limitations against popular services like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of censorship intensified in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in systematic and comprehensive efforts to curtail the internet. Actions have involved:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Banning digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Advancing technical capabilities to observe and control internet traffic.

Other Examples of Restrictions

Service for YouTube was disrupted in the past in an incident described as intentional slowing by regulators. Authorities blamed YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted internet access with widespread outages of mobile internet connections. The government claimed this was needed to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics contended a further measure to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

The government has also acted against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in 2024. This year, officials prohibited voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the action by stating the services were being used for illegal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have heavily pushed a so-called "domestic" communication platform called Max. Observers view it as a potential tool for oversight. The platform admits it will hand over data with officials upon request, and experts note it does not use strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label obligates that such services have an account with Roskomnadzor and allow state security with entry to communications. Services failing to comply are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the service as "expected" and cautioned that other platforms failing to cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

In a separate development, the authorities reported it was blocking Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two game platform in Russia recently, with nearly eight million monthly users.

Although it is still feasible to get around a few of these restrictions by using VPN services, such tools are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.