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In a ongoing effort to exert greater control over online communications, Russian authorities have blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were being used to organize and conduct terrorist acts within the country, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor said it took action on Snapchat on October 10, though the decision was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions follow similar restrictions targeting key apps including Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of censorship escalated in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken deliberate and comprehensive efforts to curtail the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Advancing technology to track and influence online traffic.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled in the past in a case of deliberate throttling by officials. Authorities pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

In recent months, authorities tightened online access with widespread outages of cellular data connections. Officials stated this was necessary to prevent drone strikes, but critics argued an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Platforms

The government has also moved against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were banned in 2024. This year, officials prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by claiming the platforms were being used for criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have championed a so-called "national" messenger app called "Max". Experts view it as a possible surveillance tool. The service explicitly states it will provide user information with officials if demanded, and analysts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law classifies any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label mandates that platforms register with Roskomnadzor and provide Russia's security service with entry to communications. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps a large number of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the blocking of the service as "expected" and stated that other sites failing to cooperate with authorities "face blocking – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Sites Too Targeted

As another action, the government announced it was banning the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at safeguarding minors from illicit content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia recently, with approximately eight million players.

While it is still feasible to bypass certain of these restrictions by using VPN services, such tools are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.