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As part of a continued campaign to tighten control over internet access, state officials have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Block

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were employed to organize and conduct acts of terrorism within the country, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor said it enforced the restriction on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, even though the move was only reported later.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

These latest moves are part of comparable blocks against popular services such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of bans escalated in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken systematic and wide-ranging initiatives to curtail the open internet. This has included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Banning websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Developing technical capabilities to track and influence internet traffic.

Other Instances of Restrictions

Access to YouTube was disrupted in the past in a case of intentional slowing by officials. The Kremlin blamed YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, authorities limited connectivity with widespread disruptions of cellular data connections. Officials stated this was necessary to counter drone strikes, but critics contended a further measure to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Regulators has also moved against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in this year. This year, officials banned voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the measure by saying the services were being involved in crime.

Simultaneously, the state have actively promoted a so-called "domestic" communication platform called Max. Critics view it as a potential surveillance tool. The platform openly declares it will provide user information with authorities when asked, and analysts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification mandates that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and provide Russia's security service with access to communications. Platforms that fail to comply are non-compliant and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that possibly a large number of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and stated that other sites that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that is clear."

Entertainment Sites Also Affected

As another development, the government reported it was banning the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia recently, with close to 8 million monthly users.

Although it is still feasible to get around a few of these restrictions by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are also often blocked by officials as well.