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As part of a sustained campaign to tighten control over digital platforms, state authorities have cut off access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that these services were being used to organize and conduct terrorist activities inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud and other crimes against citizens.

The regulator reported it initiated the block against Snapchat on October 10, although the decision was only made public more recently.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

This recent action come after comparable blocks against key apps such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of bans intensified following the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

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

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Outlawing online services that fail to comply with local rules.
• Advancing technology to track and influence online traffic.

Recent Examples of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was disrupted last year in an incident described as intentional slowing by regulators. Authorities attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted connectivity with widespread disruptions of mobile internet connections. The government claimed this was necessary to prevent drone strikes, but experts saw it as another step to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Platforms

Regulators has also targeted popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. Additionally, authorities banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the measure by stating the two apps were being facilitating criminal activities.

Concurrently, authorities have championed a so-called "national" messenger app called "Max". Observers see it as a possible monitoring instrument. The app admits it will hand over data with the government when asked, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any platform where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification requires that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and provide Russia's security service with the ability to monitor user accounts. Services failing to comply are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that possibly tens of millions of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and stated that other platforms refusing to comply with authorities "will be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

In a separate development, the authorities announced it was banning the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

Although it remains possible to get around a few of these limitations by using VPN services, such tools are routinely blocked by officials as well.