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As part of a sustained campaign to tighten control over online communications, state authorities have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were utilized to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud and other crimes against citizens.

Roskomnadzor stated it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, even though the move was only made public more recently.

Broader Context of Internet Control

These new restrictions are part of comparable blocks against major platforms such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of censorship began in earnest after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in calculated and wide-ranging strategies to control the internet. This has included:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Blocking websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Perfecting systems to track and influence online traffic.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was slowed previously in an incident described as intentional slowing by regulators. The Kremlin blamed YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

This summer, officials further restricted connectivity with widespread outages of cellphone internet connections. The government insisted this was needed to counter drone strikes, but critics argued a further measure to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Apps

Regulators has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in this year. Additionally, authorities prohibited calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the action by stating the services were being involved in criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have championed a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called "Max". Observers regard it as a potential tool for oversight. The platform openly declares it will hand over data with officials if demanded, and analysts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification requires that such services register with the regulator and allow the FSB with entry to communications. Those failing to meet these demands are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that perhaps many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and cautioned that other sites refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Platforms Too Targeted

In a related action, the authorities announced it was banning the online game platform Roblox, citing protecting children from illicit content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular gaming site in Russia recently, with close to eight million players.

Although it remains possible to bypass certain of these restrictions by employing VPN services, those are frequently targeted by officials as well.