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In a continued campaign to tighten control over internet access, state officials have blocked access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were being used to plan and execute acts of terrorism on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud along with other offenses targeting Russian citizens.

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

Wider Campaign of Online Restrictions

This recent action come after comparable limitations targeting major platforms like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of censorship escalated following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in systematic and comprehensive initiatives to control the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Blocking online services that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Developing technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Recent Examples of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was slowed in the past in an incident described as deliberate throttling by officials. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, officials limited internet access with broad outages of mobile internet connections. The government claimed this was required to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics contended another step to increase control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Apps

Authorities has also moved against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in recently. Additionally, authorities banned voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the measure by claiming the platforms were being involved in criminal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have heavily pushed a so-called "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Experts view it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform openly declares it will hand over data with the government when asked, and experts note it lacks strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

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

This designation obligates that such services register with the regulator and grant Russia's security service with the ability to monitor user data. Platforms that fail to comply are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that possibly a large number of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the blocking of the service as "expected" and stated that further services failing to cooperate with authorities "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Platforms Too Affected

In a separate development, the authorities reported it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two game platform in Russia last month, with approximately 8 million players.

Although it remains feasible to get around a few of these restrictions by using VPN services, those are frequently targeted by authorities as well.