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In a sustained effort to tighten control over online communications, Russian regulators have restricted access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were utilized to organize and conduct terrorist acts on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud along with other offenses against citizens.

Officials stated it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, although the move was publicly disclosed later.

Broader Campaign of Internet Control

These new restrictions come after previous blocks against major platforms such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of bans escalated after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued deliberate and wide-ranging efforts to curtail the internet. This has included:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Banning websites and platforms that do not comply with state demands.
• Advancing technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled last year in an incident described as deliberate throttling by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

This summer, authorities limited internet access with broad outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials stated this was needed to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts saw it as an additional move to increase control over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Apps

Authorities has also acted against popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in recently. This year, authorities banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the measure by stating the services were being used for crime.

Simultaneously, the state have actively promoted a so-called "national" messenger app called Max. Experts see it as a potential surveillance tool. The app openly declares it will provide user information with authorities if demanded, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

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

This label mandates that such services establish a presence with the regulator and grant the FSB with the ability to monitor communications. Platforms that fail to comply are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that potentially a large number of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that other platforms that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Platforms Too Targeted

In a related move, the authorities also said it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at safeguarding minors from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with close to 8 million monthly users.

While it remains feasible to get around a few of these limitations by employing VPN services, those are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.