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In a ongoing campaign to exert greater control over online communications, Russian authorities have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were being used to organize and conduct terrorist activities on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor stated it took action against Snapchat in early October, though the move was publicly disclosed later.

Wider Context of Internet Control

These new restrictions are part of previous limitations imposed on popular services including Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of bans escalated following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued systematic and comprehensive efforts to control the open internet. Actions have involved:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Blocking digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Advancing systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was slowed last year in an incident described as targeted interference by officials. Authorities attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

This summer, authorities limited online access with broad shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts contended an additional move to increase control over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

Regulators has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in recently. Additionally, authorities outlawed voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the measure by saying the services were being used for illegal activities.

At the same time, authorities have heavily pushed a so-called "national" communication platform called Max. Critics see it as a possible monitoring instrument. The app openly declares it will hand over data with officials when asked, and analysts note it lacks strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any platform where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation obligates that platforms register with Roskomnadzor and allow state security with access to user data. Those failing to meet these demands are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that possibly a large number of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and warned that other platforms that do not cooperate with authorities "are likely to be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Sites Too Affected

As another action, the government announced it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, citing protecting children from harmful content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia recently, with close to 8 million active users.

While it is still feasible to bypass certain of these blocks by utilizing VPN services, such tools are frequently targeted by the regulator as well.