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Amid a ongoing crackdown to tighten control over digital platforms, state authorities have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were being used to facilitate and carry out acts of terrorism within the country, to recruit perpetrators and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Officials said it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat on October 10, though the announcement was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Broader Campaign of Digital Crackdown

This recent action come after previous blocks targeting major platforms like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of bans escalated in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued calculated and multi-pronged efforts to rein in the internet. Measures have included:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Banning digital platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Developing technology to observe and control internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled last year in a case of intentional slowing by officials. Russian officials pointed the finger at Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

Recently, authorities further restricted internet access with broad outages of cellular data connections. The government insisted this was necessary to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts argued another step to increase control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Platforms

The government has also moved against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in 2024. This year, officials outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the action by stating the services were being involved in illegal activities.

At the same time, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called "Max". Critics regard it as a possible tool for oversight. The app admits it will hand over data with officials if demanded, and analysts note it lacks strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any platform where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification mandates that platforms establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and provide Russia's security service with the ability to monitor user accounts. Platforms that fail to do so are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that perhaps a large number of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "expected" and cautioned that further services that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Also Affected

As another action, the government also said it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, citing protecting children from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia recently, with close to 8 million players.

While it is still possible to bypass certain of these restrictions by using VPN services, those are routinely blocked by officials as well.