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Amid a sustained effort to exert greater control over digital platforms, Russian officials have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were utilized to facilitate and carry out acts of terrorism on Russian soil, to enlist people and carry out fraud and other crimes against citizens.

The regulator said it took action on Snapchat in early October, though the decision was only made public later.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves follow comparable blocks targeting popular services like YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of bans began in earnest in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in deliberate and comprehensive initiatives to rein in the digital space. This has included:

• Adopting tough new laws.
• Blocking websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Perfecting systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Other Examples of Blocks

Access to YouTube was slowed in the past in what experts called intentional slowing by the authorities. Authorities blamed Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, authorities further restricted online access with broad shutdowns of cellular data connections. The government insisted this was necessary to thwart drone strikes, but experts contended a further measure to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Platforms

The government has also targeted popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. Furthermore, officials outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the measure by stating the two apps were being facilitating crime.

Concurrently, authorities have actively promoted a so-called "domestic" messenger app called "Max". Critics view it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform admits it will provide user information with officials if demanded, and experts note it lacks full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification requires that such services register with Roskomnadzor and allow Russia's security service with access to user data. Those failing to meet these demands are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev pointed out that perhaps tens of millions of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the service as "expected" and stated that other sites failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Sites Also Affected

In a related development, the authorities also said it was banning Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from inappropriate material. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia in October, with approximately eight million active users.

Although it remains feasible to circumvent some of these limitations by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are also often blocked by authorities as well.