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As part of a sustained crackdown to exert greater control over digital platforms, Russian regulators have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were employed to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities on Russian soil, to enlist people and carry out fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor said it took action targeting Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the announcement was only made public more recently.

Broader Campaign of Online Restrictions

These latest moves follow comparable blocks imposed on key apps such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of bans began in earnest after the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken deliberate and wide-ranging efforts to control the open internet. This has included:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Banning online services that do not comply with local rules.
• Developing technical capabilities to observe and control online traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled in the past in what experts called deliberate throttling by regulators. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

Recently, authorities further restricted online access with widespread outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials insisted this was required to thwart drone strikes, but critics argued another step to increase control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Platforms

The government has also acted against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in recently. Furthermore, authorities prohibited calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the action by saying the two apps were being involved in crime.

Simultaneously, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Critics view it as a potential surveillance tool. The platform admits it will provide user information with the government if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any platform where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification obligates that such services register with the regulator and allow the FSB with entry to user accounts. Platforms that fail to do so are breaking the law and may be banned.

Seleznev estimated that potentially a large number of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "expected" and cautioned that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Sites Too Affected

In a separate action, the authorities reported it was restricting Roblox, stating the reason was safeguarding minors from harmful content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular game platform in Russia in October, with nearly eight million monthly users.

Although it remains possible to bypass certain of these restrictions by using VPN services, those are also often blocked by authorities as well.