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As part of a sustained campaign to exert greater control over digital platforms, state regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that these services were being used to organize and conduct terrorist activities on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Officials reported it initiated the block against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, even though the decision was only reported later.

Broader Context of Internet Control

These new restrictions follow comparable blocks imposed on popular services including YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of restrictions escalated in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken deliberate and comprehensive efforts to control the internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Outlawing online services that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to track and influence digital communications.

Recent Instances of Restrictions

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled previously in an incident described as deliberate throttling by the authorities. Authorities blamed Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened connectivity with broad shutdowns of mobile internet connections. Officials claimed this was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics contended an additional move to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Platforms

The government has also acted against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. Furthermore, officials prohibited voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the action by stating the platforms were being facilitating criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have championed a dubbed "national" communication platform called Max. Observers regard it as a potential tool for oversight. The service openly declares it will provide user information with officials upon request, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework defines any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label obligates that platforms register with Roskomnadzor and grant the FSB with entry to communications. Services failing to comply are breaking the law and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services refusing to comply with authorities "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

In a separate development, the authorities reported it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, citing protecting children from harmful content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia last month, with nearly eight million players.

Although it is still possible to bypass certain of these limitations by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by authorities as well.