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Amid a continued crackdown to increase oversight over digital platforms, Russian authorities have restricted access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were employed to organize and conduct acts of terrorism on Russian soil, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor reported it enforced the restriction against Snapchat on October 10, though the decision was only made public later.

Wider Campaign of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions follow similar limitations imposed on key apps like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship escalated after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have pursued deliberate and comprehensive strategies to rein in the digital space. This has included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Outlawing online services that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Perfecting technology to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was disrupted previously in what experts called intentional slowing by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened internet access with extensive outages of cellphone internet connections. The government stated this was necessary to prevent drone strikes, but analysts contended another step to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Platforms

The government has also targeted widely-used messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Additionally, authorities banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the action by stating the two apps were being used for crime.

Concurrently, authorities have championed a dubbed "national" communication platform called "Max". Critics see it as a possible monitoring instrument. The platform openly declares it will hand over data with authorities when asked, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations classifies any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation obligates that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and provide the FSB with entry to user accounts. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev pointed out that perhaps many millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and cautioned that other sites that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Platforms Too Targeted

In a separate move, the government also said it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million active users.

Although it remains feasible to bypass certain of these limitations by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are also often blocked by officials as well.