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As part of a sustained effort to increase oversight over online communications, state officials have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were being used to organize and conduct acts of terrorism within the country, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

The regulator stated it took action against Snapchat in early October, even though the announcement was publicly disclosed later.

Wider Context of Internet Control

These latest moves are part of previous blocks imposed on popular services like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of bans began in earnest after the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to rein in the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Banning digital platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing technology to track and influence internet traffic.

Other Instances of Restrictions

Service for YouTube was disrupted last year in what experts called intentional slowing by regulators. Russian officials attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

Recently, officials limited internet access with widespread outages of mobile internet connections. Officials claimed this was required to prevent drone strikes, but analysts argued an additional move to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Platforms

Authorities has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. This year, officials banned voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the measure by claiming the services were being involved in illegal activities.

At the same time, authorities have heavily pushed a so-called "national" communication platform called "Max". Experts view it as a potential surveillance tool. The platform explicitly states it will share user data with officials if demanded, and experts note it does not use strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations defines any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification requires that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and allow Russia's security service with entry to communications. Those failing to do so are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that potentially many millions of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He called the blocking of the service as "predictable" and cautioned that other sites failing to cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

In a separate development, the government announced it was blocking Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from harmful content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia last month, with close to eight million players.

Although it is still possible to bypass certain of these limitations by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are also often blocked by the regulator as well.