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As part of a continued campaign to exert greater control over internet access, Russian authorities have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were employed to plan and execute terrorist acts within the country, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

Officials reported it took action targeting Snapchat in early October, even though the decision was publicly disclosed later.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions are part of similar blocks targeting major platforms including YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of restrictions escalated after the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have pursued calculated and comprehensive efforts to curtail the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Passing restrictive laws.
• Banning digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Advancing technical capabilities to observe and control online traffic.

Other Instances of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was slowed previously in a case of intentional slowing by the authorities. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

Recently, authorities further restricted connectivity with broad outages of mobile internet connections. Officials stated this was necessary to thwart drone strikes, but critics argued a further measure to assert dominance over the internet.

Targeting Communication Platforms

Authorities has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in recently. Additionally, officials prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by claiming the services were being used for crime.

Concurrently, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Observers regard it as a possible tool for oversight. The service explicitly states it will hand over data with the government upon request, and analysts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary

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

This classification obligates that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and grant state security with the ability to monitor user accounts. Services failing to do so are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that perhaps many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that other platforms that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

In a separate development, the authorities also said it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from harmful content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia recently, with approximately 8 million active users.

Although it remains feasible to circumvent some of these limitations by utilizing virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked by authorities as well.