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In a sustained crackdown to increase oversight over internet access, Russian regulators have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were being used to organize and conduct terrorist acts on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

The regulator stated it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, even though the move was only made public more recently.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions are part of similar restrictions against key apps like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship intensified in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in systematic and comprehensive initiatives to rein in the open internet. This has included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Banning online services that fail to comply with state demands.
• Advancing systems to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Other Instances of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was disrupted last year in what experts called intentional slowing by the authorities. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

This summer, authorities further restricted connectivity with extensive disruptions of cellular data connections. The government stated this was required to prevent drone strikes, but experts contended an additional move to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Regulators has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Furthermore, authorities outlawed voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the ban by claiming the platforms were being involved in criminal activities.

At the same time, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "national" messenger app called Max. Critics regard it as a possible monitoring instrument. The service explicitly states it will share user data with the government if demanded, and experts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law classifies any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification obligates that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and grant state security with entry to user accounts. Services failing to meet these demands are non-compliant and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that perhaps many millions of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the service as "expected" and stated that other sites refusing to comply with authorities "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Platforms Too Affected

In a related move, the authorities also said it was blocking Roblox, citing protecting children from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia recently, with approximately eight million monthly users.

Although it remains feasible to bypass certain of these restrictions by utilizing virtual private network services, those are frequently targeted by authorities as well.