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Amid a ongoing effort to tighten control over internet access, Russian regulators have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were employed to organize and conduct terrorist activities on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor reported it took action targeting Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the announcement was only reported later.

Broader Campaign of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions are part of previous blocks targeting popular services including Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of restrictions escalated after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken deliberate and wide-ranging efforts to rein in the open internet. This has included:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Blocking digital platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Other Examples of Restrictions

Service for YouTube was disrupted previously in an incident described as targeted interference by the authorities. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, authorities limited connectivity with extensive disruptions of mobile internet connections. The government insisted this was necessary to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics saw it as another step to increase control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Apps

The government has also moved against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Additionally, authorities prohibited calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by stating the platforms were being facilitating crime.

Concurrently, authorities have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Critics regard it as a possible tool for oversight. The app admits it will provide user information with the government upon request, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations classifies any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation obligates that platforms establish a presence with the regulator and allow the FSB with the ability to monitor user accounts. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that potentially a large number of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and warned that other platforms failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Gaming Sites Too Affected

In a related move, the authorities also said it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at safeguarding minors from harmful content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia last month, with nearly eight million players.

Although it is still feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by using VPN services, VPNs themselves are also often blocked by authorities as well.