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In a ongoing campaign to tighten control over online communications, Russian officials have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that these services were utilized to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts within the country, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor stated it initiated the block targeting Snapchat in early October, although the decision was only made public more recently.

Broader Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These new restrictions follow similar restrictions targeting key apps such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of censorship intensified after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

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

• Adopting tough new laws.
• Banning websites and platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Advancing technology to track and influence internet traffic.

Other Examples of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled in the past in a case of targeted interference by the authorities. Russian officials attributed the issue to Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

In recent months, authorities tightened connectivity with broad shutdowns of cellular data connections. Officials claimed this was necessary to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts contended another step to assert dominance over the internet.

Action Against Communication Apps

Regulators has also moved against popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in recently. Furthermore, authorities banned voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the ban by claiming the platforms were being facilitating criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have championed a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called "Max". Critics view it as a potential tool for oversight. The service explicitly states it will hand over data with authorities when asked, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations defines any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label requires that such services register with the regulator and grant Russia's security service with entry to user accounts. Those failing to comply are breaking the law and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and stated that other platforms failing to cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Also Affected

In a related move, the authorities also said it was banning Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from harmful content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two gaming site in Russia recently, with approximately eight million players.

Although it is still feasible to bypass certain of these blocks by using VPN services, those are also often blocked by officials as well.