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As part of a ongoing campaign to exert greater control over digital platforms, Russian regulators have restricted access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that these services were employed to plan and execute terrorist acts within the country, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Officials stated it initiated the block against Snapchat in early October, even though the announcement was only reported more recently.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves follow previous blocks imposed on popular services such as Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship began in earnest in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in systematic and wide-ranging initiatives to control the internet. Measures have included:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Blocking online services that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing technology to track and influence digital communications.

Other Examples of Blocks

Access to YouTube was throttled previously in what experts called targeted interference by regulators. Authorities blamed YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, authorities tightened internet access with widespread disruptions of mobile internet connections. The government insisted this was necessary to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts contended another step to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Platforms

The government has also moved against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in recently. Furthermore, authorities banned voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by claiming the services were being facilitating crime.

At the same time, authorities have championed a so-called "national" communication platform called "Max". Observers regard it as a possible monitoring instrument. The service explicitly states it will share user data with the government if demanded, and analysts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

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

This label obligates that such services register with Roskomnadzor and grant state security with the ability to monitor user accounts. Services failing to comply are non-compliant and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that potentially a large number of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Platforms Also Targeted

In a separate action, the authorities also said it was banning Roblox, stating the reason was safeguarding minors from inappropriate material. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest game platform in Russia recently, with close to eight million active users.

While it remains feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by utilizing VPN services, those are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.