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As part of a continued campaign to exert greater control over online communications, state regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were employed to organize and conduct acts of terrorism on Russian soil, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials reported it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, although the decision was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

This recent action are part of similar blocks imposed on popular services such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of restrictions intensified in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in calculated and multi-pronged strategies to control the internet. Actions have involved:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Banning websites and platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Developing technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Other Instances of Restrictions

Access to the YouTube platform was slowed in the past in an incident described as intentional slowing by regulators. The Kremlin attributed the issue to Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

Recently, authorities tightened online access with broad disruptions of mobile internet connections. Officials claimed this was required to prevent drone strikes, but critics contended an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Platforms

The government has also moved against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in 2024. Furthermore, officials banned voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the ban by claiming the services were being involved in crime.

Concurrently, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "national" communication platform called Max. Observers view it as a potential surveillance tool. The app explicitly states it will provide user information with the government when asked, and analysts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any platform where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label mandates that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and grant the FSB with entry to communications. Services failing to meet these demands are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that perhaps many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and warned that other sites that do not cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Sites Too Affected

In a related development, the government also said it was blocking Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from inappropriate material. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia last month, with nearly eight million active users.

While it is still feasible to get around a few of these restrictions by employing virtual private network services, those are frequently targeted by authorities as well.