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Amid a ongoing campaign to exert greater control over online communications, state officials have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were employed to organize and conduct terrorist acts within the country, to enlist people and carry out fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

The regulator reported it took action targeting Snapchat on October 10, although the decision was publicly disclosed more recently.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves follow similar limitations imposed on key apps including YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of restrictions began in earnest after the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in calculated and multi-pronged efforts to control the digital space. This has included:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Blocking digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Other Instances of Crackdowns

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted last year in an incident described as deliberate throttling by the authorities. The Kremlin pointed the finger at Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

This summer, officials limited internet access with extensive shutdowns of mobile internet connections. The government stated this was necessary to prevent drone strikes, but experts argued another step to increase control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Apps

Authorities has also acted against widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in recently. Furthermore, officials prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the action by claiming the services were being involved in crime.

Concurrently, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Critics regard it as a possible tool for oversight. The app openly declares it will provide user information with officials upon request, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification obligates that platforms establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and grant the FSB with entry to user accounts. Those failing to comply are non-compliant and can get blocked.

Seleznev pointed out that potentially tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He called the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and warned that other sites failing to cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Sites Also Affected

In a related action, the government announced it was blocking Roblox, claiming it aimed at safeguarding minors from illicit content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest game platform in Russia in October, with close to 8 million monthly users.

While it is still feasible to bypass certain of these limitations by using VPN services, those are frequently targeted by the regulator as well.