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As part of a sustained crackdown to tighten control over digital platforms, state authorities have blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that these services were being used to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts within the country, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Officials reported it took action targeting Snapchat in early October, though the announcement was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Broader Campaign of Online Restrictions

This recent action are part of previous restrictions imposed on popular services including Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of censorship intensified in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have pursued deliberate and comprehensive efforts to control the open internet. Actions have involved:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Outlawing online services that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Recent Examples of Restrictions

Access to the YouTube platform was disrupted last year in a case of deliberate throttling by officials. Russian officials attributed the issue to Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

Recently, officials further restricted internet access with widespread outages of cellphone internet connections. The government insisted this was required to thwart drone strikes, but critics argued another step to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Apps

Regulators has also targeted popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. This year, officials outlawed voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the measure by claiming the services were being involved in criminal activities.

Concurrently, authorities have championed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Observers regard it as a potential tool for oversight. The service admits it will share user data with authorities if demanded, and analysts note it does not use strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework defines any platform where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation requires that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and allow state security with the ability to monitor user data. Platforms that fail to comply are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that possibly tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the service as "expected" and cautioned that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Platforms Too Targeted

In a separate action, the government reported it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at protecting children from inappropriate material. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia recently, with nearly eight million active users.

While it is still feasible to get around a few of these limitations by using VPN services, those are frequently targeted by the regulator as well.