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As part of a sustained campaign to tighten control over internet access, Russian authorities have cut off access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were employed to organize and conduct terrorist activities on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials stated it initiated the block against Snapchat on October 10, although the move was only reported more recently.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

These new restrictions come after comparable blocks imposed on key apps such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of censorship intensified after the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have pursued deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to control the open internet. This has included:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Banning digital platforms that fail to comply with state demands.
• Advancing technology to track and influence online traffic.

Other Instances of Restrictions

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted previously in an incident described as targeted interference by regulators. Russian officials attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

This summer, authorities tightened connectivity with broad outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials stated this was needed to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts contended a further measure to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Platforms

The government has also targeted popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in recently. Additionally, authorities outlawed voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the ban by claiming the platforms were being facilitating crime.

At the same time, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "national" messenger app called Max. Experts regard it as a potential monitoring instrument. The app openly declares it will provide user information with the government when asked, and analysts note it lacks strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework classifies any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation obligates that platforms establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and provide the FSB with access to user accounts. Platforms that fail to do so are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that possibly a large number of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "expected" and stated that further services refusing to comply with authorities "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

In a separate development, the authorities also said it was restricting Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular gaming site in Russia last month, with approximately eight million active users.

While it is still possible to circumvent some of these blocks by utilizing virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked by officials as well.