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As part of a ongoing crackdown to increase oversight over internet access, Russian authorities have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were being used to plan and execute terrorist activities inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

The regulator said it initiated the block against Snapchat on October 10, although the decision was only made public more recently.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

This recent action follow previous restrictions targeting popular services including YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of restrictions intensified following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have pursued deliberate and wide-ranging initiatives to rein in the digital space. This has included:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Banning online services that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Developing technical capabilities to track and influence internet traffic.

Other Examples of Restrictions

Service for the YouTube platform was slowed last year in a case of deliberate throttling by the authorities. Authorities pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

Recently, officials limited internet access with widespread disruptions of cellular data connections. The government insisted this was required to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts argued another step to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Platforms

Regulators has also targeted widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in this year. Furthermore, officials banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the ban by stating the services were being facilitating crime.

At the same time, the state have championed a so-called "domestic" communication platform called Max. Experts view it as a potential monitoring instrument. The platform openly declares it will hand over data with the government upon request, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label obligates that platforms have an account with the regulator and grant state security with access to communications. Services failing to do so are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that potentially many millions of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and warned that further services that do not cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Too Affected

As another development, the government also said it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, citing protecting children from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia in October, with approximately 8 million monthly users.

While it is still feasible to circumvent some of these limitations by utilizing VPN services, those are frequently targeted by authorities as well.