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As part of a sustained campaign to tighten control over online communications, state officials have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were employed to organize and conduct terrorist acts on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Officials said it took action targeting Snapchat on October 10, though the announcement was only reported more recently.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions come after comparable limitations against popular services like YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship intensified in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

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

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Advancing technical capabilities to track and influence digital communications.

Recent Instances of Restrictions

Access to YouTube was slowed last year in what experts called deliberate throttling by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted internet access with widespread shutdowns of cellular data connections. Officials claimed this was needed to prevent drone strikes, but critics saw it as a further measure to assert dominance over the internet.

Targeting Communication Platforms

Authorities has also acted against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Additionally, officials banned voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the ban by saying the two apps were being used for crime.

Simultaneously, the state have championed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Experts regard it as a potential surveillance tool. The service admits it will share user data with officials when asked, and analysts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label mandates that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and grant Russia's security service with the ability to monitor communications. Services failing to comply are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He called the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and warned that other sites failing to cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Sites Also Affected

In a separate action, the authorities also said it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

While it remains possible to get around a few of these restrictions by utilizing VPN services, such tools are routinely blocked by authorities as well.