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Amid a ongoing campaign to exert greater control over internet access, Russian officials have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were employed to organize and conduct terrorist activities within the country, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor reported it took action on Snapchat in early October, even though the decision was publicly disclosed later.

Broader Context of Internet Control

These new restrictions follow previous blocks targeting key apps like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of bans intensified following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in deliberate and wide-ranging efforts to rein in the digital space. Measures have included:

• Adopting tough new laws.
• Blocking online services that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Developing technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Examples of Restrictions

Service for YouTube was throttled last year in an incident described as targeted interference by regulators. The Kremlin attributed the issue to Google for failing to maintain its infrastructure in Russia.

This summer, authorities limited connectivity with widespread outages of cellphone internet connections. The government stated this was required to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics saw it as another step to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

Authorities has also acted against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in recently. This year, officials outlawed voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the measure by stating the platforms were being used for illegal activities.

At the same time, authorities have heavily pushed a so-called "national" communication platform called "Max". Experts regard it as a possible surveillance tool. The service explicitly states it will share user data with the government if demanded, and analysts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification obligates that platforms register with the regulator and provide state security with the ability to monitor user data. Those failing to meet these demands are in violation and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that potentially tens of millions of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the blocking of the service as "expected" and stated that other sites that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – it is inevitable."

Gaming Platforms Too Affected

As another action, the government reported it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from illicit content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two game platform in Russia recently, with nearly eight million players.

Although it is still possible to get around a few of these restrictions by using virtual private network services, VPNs themselves are routinely blocked by authorities as well.