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As part of a continued campaign to tighten control over internet access, state officials have blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were employed to organize and conduct acts of terrorism inside Russia, to enlist people and commit fraud along with other offenses against citizens.

Officials reported it initiated the block against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, even though the decision was publicly disclosed more recently.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions follow similar restrictions targeting major platforms such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of censorship escalated in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued deliberate and multi-pronged efforts to curtail the digital space. This has included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Blocking websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Developing technical capabilities to observe and control internet traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled previously in an incident described as deliberate throttling by the authorities. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for failing to maintain its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, officials limited internet access with broad shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. The government stated this was necessary to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued an additional move to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Platforms

The government has also targeted widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. Furthermore, authorities banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the action by stating the platforms were being involved in illegal activities.

Concurrently, the state have championed a so-called "domestic" messenger app called Max. Observers view it as a potential monitoring instrument. The platform openly declares it will share user data with officials when asked, and experts note it does not use strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations classifies any platform where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label requires that such services have an account with the regulator and grant Russia's security service with entry to communications. Platforms that fail to comply are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that potentially a large number of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and cautioned that other platforms failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

In a separate action, the authorities reported it was blocking Roblox, claiming it aimed at protecting children from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia recently, with close to eight million active users.

While it remains feasible to bypass certain of these limitations by utilizing virtual private network services, those are frequently targeted by authorities as well.