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Amid a sustained effort to tighten control over online communications, state officials have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling 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 inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud along with other offenses against citizens.

Officials stated it enforced the restriction on Snapchat on October 10, although the decision was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

These new restrictions come after previous limitations imposed on major platforms such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of bans escalated following the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in calculated and wide-ranging efforts to rein in the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that fail to comply with state demands.
• Advancing technical capabilities to observe and control online traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled previously in what experts called deliberate throttling by regulators. The Kremlin pointed the finger at Google for allegedly neglecting its infrastructure in Russia.

Recently, officials further restricted internet access with widespread disruptions of cellphone internet connections. Officials insisted this was required to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts saw it as another step to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Platforms

Authorities has also acted against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in recently. Furthermore, authorities outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the action by stating the platforms were being facilitating crime.

Concurrently, the state have actively promoted a so-called "domestic" messenger app called Max. Experts see it as a potential surveillance tool. The platform openly declares it will hand over data with authorities when asked, and analysts note it does not use full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any platform where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label requires that such services register with the regulator and grant the FSB with the ability to monitor user accounts. Those failing to do so are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that potentially many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and warned that other sites failing to cooperate with authorities "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Also Targeted

In a related action, the government announced it was banning the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from illicit content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia in October, with approximately 8 million monthly users.

While it is still possible to bypass certain of these limitations by using VPN services, those are routinely blocked by officials as well.