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As part of a continued crackdown to tighten control over digital platforms, state officials have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that these services were utilized to plan and execute acts of terrorism within the country, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

The regulator stated it initiated the block targeting Snapchat in early October, though the announcement was publicly disclosed later.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

These new restrictions come after comparable limitations targeting major platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of restrictions began in earnest following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken calculated and wide-ranging initiatives to control the open internet. Measures have included:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Blocking online services that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Developing systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was slowed last year in a case of deliberate throttling by officials. The Kremlin pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, authorities further restricted internet access with extensive outages of cellular data connections. Officials insisted this was required to thwart drone strikes, but critics argued another step to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Apps

Regulators has also acted against popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were banned in this year. Furthermore, officials outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the action by claiming the two apps were being used for criminal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "national" messenger app called "Max". Experts see it as a possible monitoring instrument. The app explicitly states it will hand over data with authorities when asked, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any platform where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label obligates that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and grant state security with entry to user accounts. Services failing to do so are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that possibly tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He called the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and cautioned that other sites refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Platforms Too Targeted

As another action, the authorities also said it was banning Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from illicit content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia last month, with approximately 8 million monthly users.

Although it remains possible to get around a few of these blocks by employing virtual private network services, those are also often blocked by authorities as well.