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As part of a ongoing campaign to exert greater control over digital platforms, Russian regulators have restricted access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that these services were employed to facilitate and carry out acts of terrorism inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

Roskomnadzor stated it took action against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the move was only reported on Thursday.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

These new restrictions follow similar limitations targeting popular services including Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of bans began in earnest after the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken deliberate and comprehensive strategies to control the open internet. Measures have included:

• Adopting tough new laws.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to track and influence digital communications.

Other Instances of Blocks

Service for YouTube was throttled in the past in what experts called intentional slowing by the authorities. The Kremlin pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

This summer, officials further restricted internet access with extensive outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials insisted this was required to counter drone strikes, but experts argued another step to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Apps

Authorities has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. This year, officials prohibited calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the ban by claiming the platforms were being involved in illegal activities.

Simultaneously, authorities have heavily pushed a so-called "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Experts regard it as a potential surveillance tool. The service admits it will share user data with officials when asked, and analysts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label obligates that such services establish a presence with the regulator and provide state security with access to user data. Services failing to meet these demands are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that perhaps a large number of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the service as "expected" and stated that other sites refusing to comply with authorities "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Sites Too Targeted

As another move, the authorities reported it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia in October, with approximately 8 million active users.

Although it remains feasible to get around a few of these blocks by using virtual private network services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by officials as well.