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As part of a sustained campaign to tighten control over digital platforms, Russian regulators have restricted access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were being used to plan and execute terrorist acts inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

Officials stated it took action on Snapchat in early October, though the announcement was only made public more recently.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves come after similar blocks imposed on popular services such as Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of censorship escalated following the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to rein in the internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Banning online services that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Perfecting systems to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted previously in a case of deliberate throttling by officials. Authorities blamed Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted online access with broad shutdowns of mobile internet connections. The government insisted this was necessary to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued an additional move to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

The government has also moved against popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Additionally, officials banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the measure by claiming the platforms were being used for illegal activities.

Simultaneously, authorities have championed a dubbed "national" communication platform called Max. Experts view it as a possible monitoring instrument. The service openly declares it will hand over data with authorities when asked, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label mandates that platforms have an account with the regulator and provide the FSB with the ability to monitor user accounts. Services failing to comply are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev pointed out that perhaps a large number of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and cautioned that other sites refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Platforms Also Targeted

In a related action, the authorities also said it was banning Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two gaming site in Russia recently, with nearly eight million monthly users.

While it remains possible to bypass certain of these restrictions by employing virtual private network services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by officials as well.