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Amid a continued crackdown to increase oversight over internet access, Russian regulators have cut off access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were being used to plan and execute acts of terrorism within the country, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor stated it initiated the block targeting Snapchat on October 10, though the decision was publicly disclosed later.

Broader Campaign of Digital Crackdown

This recent action are part of comparable limitations targeting key apps like YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of censorship intensified in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued calculated and comprehensive initiatives to curtail the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Blocking online services that do not comply with local rules.
• Developing technology to track and influence online traffic.

Other Examples of Blocks

Service for YouTube was throttled in the past in a case of deliberate throttling by regulators. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for failing to maintain its infrastructure in Russia.

Recently, authorities limited internet access with broad outages of cellphone internet connections. The government insisted this was needed to prevent drone strikes, but experts saw it as another step to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Platforms

Authorities has also targeted popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in 2024. Furthermore, authorities outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the ban by saying the two apps were being used for illegal activities.

Concurrently, the state have championed a so-called "national" messenger app called Max. Observers see it as a potential monitoring instrument. The service openly declares it will hand over data with authorities upon request, and analysts note it does not use strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

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

This designation requires that such services have an account with Roskomnadzor and grant Russia's security service with entry to communications. Platforms that fail to comply are non-compliant and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps a large number of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and cautioned that other sites that do not cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Platforms Too Affected

In a separate move, the government announced it was banning Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with close to 8 million active users.

While it is still possible to bypass certain of these restrictions by employing virtual private network services, VPNs themselves are also often blocked by authorities as well.