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Amid a continued effort to increase oversight over online communications, Russian authorities have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were utilized to plan and execute terrorist activities within the country, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor said it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat in early October, even though the announcement was only reported on Thursday.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

This recent action follow previous restrictions against popular services like YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of bans escalated in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken systematic and wide-ranging strategies to control the digital space. This has included:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that fail to comply with state demands.
• Perfecting systems to track and influence online traffic.

Other Instances of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled in the past in an incident described as deliberate throttling by officials. The Kremlin blamed Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

This summer, authorities tightened online access with widespread shutdowns of cellular data connections. Officials stated this was necessary to thwart drone strikes, but experts argued an additional move to increase control over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

Regulators has also targeted popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. Furthermore, authorities banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the ban by stating the platforms were being facilitating criminal activities.

At the same time, authorities have heavily pushed a dubbed "national" communication platform called Max. Experts regard it as a possible monitoring instrument. The app explicitly states it will hand over data with the government when asked, and analysts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

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

This classification obligates that such services establish a presence with the regulator and grant Russia's security service with entry to user accounts. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are in violation and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and warned that further services that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

In a related move, the authorities announced it was restricting Roblox, citing protecting children from inappropriate material. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia recently, with close to 8 million players.

Although it is still possible to bypass certain of these blocks by using VPN services, those are routinely blocked by officials as well.