🔗 Share this article

In a sustained effort to tighten control over online communications, Russian officials have cut off access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that these services were employed to plan and execute terrorist activities on Russian soil, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

The regulator said it enforced the restriction against Snapchat in early October, although the move was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves follow previous blocks targeting popular services including YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship intensified after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in deliberate and wide-ranging initiatives to control the internet. Measures have included:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Blocking digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to observe and control digital communications.

Recent Examples of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled in the past in an incident described as deliberate throttling by the authorities. Russian officials blamed Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

Recently, officials limited internet access with extensive disruptions of mobile internet connections. Officials insisted this was required to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts contended a further measure to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Platforms

The government has also moved against widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in recently. Furthermore, authorities banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the measure by stating the platforms were being used for criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have championed a so-called "domestic" messenger app called Max. Observers view it as a possible tool for oversight. The service explicitly states it will share user data with authorities if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations classifies any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation obligates that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and grant the FSB with access to user data. Platforms that fail to comply are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and stated that further services that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Sites Too Affected

In a separate move, the authorities announced it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from inappropriate material. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

While it remains feasible to bypass certain of these blocks by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by officials as well.