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As part of a sustained crackdown to tighten control over internet access, Russian authorities have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor claimed that these services were utilized to organize and conduct terrorist activities on Russian soil, to enlist people and carry out fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

The regulator stated it enforced the restriction against Snapchat on October 10, even though the announcement was only made public more recently.

Broader Campaign of Internet Control

These latest moves are part of previous restrictions imposed on popular services including YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of censorship escalated following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, the government have undertaken systematic and comprehensive efforts to rein in the digital space. Measures have included:

• Passing restrictive laws.
• Blocking websites and platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Developing technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Instances of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was slowed previously in what experts called targeted interference by the authorities. Russian officials pointed the finger at Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened internet access with widespread outages of cellular data connections. The government stated this was needed to counter drone strikes, but critics argued another step to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Apps

Regulators has also moved against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in recently. This year, officials banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the measure by stating the two apps were being used for illegal activities.

At the same time, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called Max. Observers regard it as a possible surveillance tool. The service openly declares it will hand over data with officials when asked, and analysts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any platform where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label mandates that platforms register with Roskomnadzor and provide the FSB with the ability to monitor user data. Services failing to comply are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev pointed out that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and warned that other sites that do not cooperate with authorities "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Sites Also Affected

As another move, the authorities announced it was restricting Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular gaming site in Russia last month, with approximately 8 million monthly users.

Although it is still feasible to bypass certain of these restrictions by employing virtual private network services, such tools are routinely blocked by authorities as well.