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As part of a continued crackdown to exert greater control over online communications, state authorities have restricted access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that these services were employed to organize and conduct terrorist acts on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

The regulator reported it took action against Snapchat in early October, even though the move was only reported more recently.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

These new restrictions are part of similar blocks against key apps such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of restrictions began in earnest following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued systematic and comprehensive strategies to rein in the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Banning online services that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to track and influence internet traffic.

Other Instances of Restrictions

Service for YouTube was throttled previously in what experts called targeted interference by the authorities. Russian officials blamed Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted internet access with widespread shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was needed to thwart drone strikes, but critics contended another step to assert dominance over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

Authorities has also targeted popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in recently. Furthermore, authorities prohibited calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the measure by claiming the two apps were being involved in criminal activities.

Concurrently, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "national" messenger app called "Max". Observers regard it as a potential surveillance tool. The platform admits it will hand over data with the government if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any platform where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label requires that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and provide Russia's security service with entry to user accounts. Those failing to meet these demands are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that potentially tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Also Affected

In a separate move, the government reported it was restricting Roblox, stating the reason was safeguarding minors from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

While it remains feasible to circumvent some of these limitations by employing VPN services, those are also often blocked by the regulator as well.