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In a ongoing effort to increase oversight over online communications, state regulators have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were utilized to plan and execute terrorist activities on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud along with other offenses against citizens.

Officials reported it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, even though the move was publicly disclosed later.

Broader Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves are part of similar restrictions imposed on popular services such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of censorship began in earnest in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in systematic and comprehensive initiatives to curtail the internet. This has included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Banning online services that fail to comply with local rules.
• Advancing technical capabilities to observe and control digital communications.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled previously in a case of deliberate throttling by regulators. Russian officials pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

Recently, authorities further restricted online access with extensive shutdowns of cellular data connections. Officials claimed this was needed to thwart drone strikes, but analysts contended a further measure to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Platforms

Regulators has also moved against widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were banned in recently. This year, authorities outlawed calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the ban by saying the two apps were being facilitating crime.

Simultaneously, authorities have championed a dubbed "national" messenger app called Max. Observers see it as a possible tool for oversight. The platform explicitly states it will provide user information with the government upon request, and experts note it lacks strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law classifies any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification mandates that such services establish a presence with the regulator and provide state security with access to user data. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and stated that further services refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Platforms Too Affected

As another move, the authorities reported it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at protecting children from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular gaming site in Russia recently, with nearly eight million players.

Although it is still feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by using VPN services, those are frequently targeted by authorities as well.