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As part of a continued crackdown to tighten control over internet access, state authorities have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Restrictions

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were utilized to facilitate and carry out acts of terrorism within the country, to enlist people and carry out fraud along with other offenses targeting Russian citizens.

Officials reported it initiated the block targeting Snapchat in early October, although the move was only made public more recently.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

This recent action follow previous limitations against key apps such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of restrictions intensified in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, the government have pursued deliberate and comprehensive initiatives to control the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Banning digital platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Perfecting technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Instances of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled last year in an incident described as deliberate throttling by the authorities. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

In recent months, authorities limited internet access with widespread outages of mobile internet connections. The government insisted this was needed to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts contended another step to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Apps

Authorities has also acted against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in 2024. This year, authorities outlawed calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the action by claiming the two apps were being facilitating criminal activities.

Simultaneously, authorities have heavily pushed a dubbed "national" messenger app called "Max". Experts regard it as a potential surveillance tool. The app openly declares it will share user data with officials when asked, and experts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework classifies any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label obligates that platforms have an account with the regulator and grant Russia's security service with entry to communications. Services failing to do so are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services refusing to comply with authorities "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Sites Too Affected

In a related development, the authorities reported it was banning the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at protecting children from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular gaming site in Russia in October, with nearly 8 million players.

Although it is still possible to get around a few of these blocks by using VPN services, such tools are frequently targeted by officials as well.