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As part of a ongoing crackdown to tighten control over online communications, Russian authorities have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were employed to plan and execute acts of terrorism inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

Officials stated it took action targeting Snapchat back on the 10th of October, even though the move was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

This recent action follow previous blocks against major platforms including Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of censorship intensified after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in systematic and comprehensive initiatives to curtail the open internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Outlawing digital platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Other Instances of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was slowed in the past in what experts called targeted interference by regulators. Authorities attributed the issue to Google for failing to maintain its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted online access with broad outages of mobile internet connections. Officials stated this was needed to thwart drone strikes, but experts argued a further measure to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Platforms

The government has also moved against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were banned in recently. Furthermore, officials banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the ban by stating the services were being involved in illegal activities.

At the same time, the state have actively promoted a so-called "national" messenger app called Max. Experts view it as a possible tool for oversight. The service explicitly states it will hand over data with the government upon request, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations classifies any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification mandates that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and provide the FSB with entry to user accounts. Services failing to do so are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps a large number of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the service as "expected" and stated that further services that do not cooperate with authorities "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Sites Too Targeted

In a related development, the government reported it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, citing child protection from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two gaming site in Russia recently, with close to 8 million players.

While it is still possible to bypass certain of these limitations by using VPN services, such tools are frequently targeted by authorities as well.