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As part of a continued crackdown to tighten control over online communications, Russian authorities have blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were employed to organize and conduct acts of terrorism inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor said it took action on Snapchat on October 10, even though the move was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

This recent action follow previous blocks targeting popular services such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of bans intensified in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in systematic and comprehensive strategies to control the internet. This has included:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Outlawing digital platforms that do not comply with state demands.
• Developing technology to track and influence digital communications.

Recent Instances of Restrictions

Access to YouTube was disrupted in the past in an incident described as intentional slowing by the authorities. The Kremlin attributed the issue to Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, authorities further restricted internet access with widespread shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. The government claimed this was required to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics argued an additional move to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Authorities has also moved against popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in recently. Furthermore, authorities outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the action by claiming the two apps were being involved in illegal activities.

At the same time, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called "Max". Critics see it as a potential monitoring instrument. The service admits it will share user data with the government when asked, and analysts note it does not use strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification requires that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and provide the FSB with the ability to monitor user data. Services failing to do so are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps a large number of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and cautioned that other sites refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that is clear."

Gaming Platforms Too Targeted

As another move, the authorities also said it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular game platform in Russia in October, with approximately 8 million monthly users.

Although it is still possible to bypass certain of these blocks by utilizing virtual private network services, those are also often blocked by the regulator as well.