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In a sustained effort to tighten control over online communications, state officials have restricted access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were being used to plan and execute terrorist activities inside Russia, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

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

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

These latest moves follow previous limitations targeting major platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of censorship intensified after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken deliberate and wide-ranging initiatives to rein in the internet. Measures have included:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Banning digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Developing technology to track and influence online traffic.

Other Instances of Restrictions

Access to YouTube was throttled previously in a case of deliberate throttling by the authorities. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted online access with broad disruptions of cellphone internet connections. The government stated this was needed to prevent drone strikes, but experts contended another step to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Apps

Authorities has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in recently. This year, authorities prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the measure by stating the services were being facilitating criminal activities.

Concurrently, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "national" messenger app called Max. Critics regard it as a potential surveillance tool. The service admits it will provide user information with the government when asked, and experts note it does not use strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any platform where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label mandates that such services have an account with Roskomnadzor and grant state security with the ability to monitor user data. Those failing to comply are breaking the law and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and stated that other platforms that do not cooperate with authorities "face blocking – it is inevitable."

Gaming Platforms Also Affected

As another move, the authorities reported it was banning Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia in October, with close to 8 million players.

While it remains possible to get around a few of these blocks by utilizing VPN services, those are frequently targeted by officials as well.