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As part of a continued campaign to increase oversight over digital platforms, state officials have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that these services were utilized to organize and conduct terrorist activities inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

The regulator reported it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, though the move was only made public on Thursday.

Broader Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These new restrictions come after comparable blocks targeting key apps including YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of restrictions began in earnest following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in systematic and wide-ranging initiatives to control the open internet. Measures have included:

• Adopting tough new laws.
• Outlawing digital platforms that do not comply with state demands.
• Perfecting systems to track and influence digital communications.

Other Instances of Crackdowns

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted previously in an incident described as deliberate throttling by the authorities. Authorities blamed Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened connectivity with broad disruptions of cellphone internet connections. The government stated this was needed to thwart drone strikes, but experts argued an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Apps

Regulators has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. Additionally, authorities banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the ban by claiming the platforms were being used for criminal activities.

Simultaneously, authorities have championed a so-called "national" communication platform called Max. Critics regard it as a potential monitoring instrument. The platform openly declares it will hand over data with officials when asked, and analysts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification mandates that such services have an account with the regulator and provide the FSB with access to communications. Platforms that fail to do so are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that perhaps a large number of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and warned that other platforms failing to cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that is clear."

Gaming Platforms Too Affected

In a related action, the authorities also said it was blocking Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia in October, with close to 8 million players.

While it remains feasible to circumvent some of these restrictions by using virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked by authorities as well.