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In a sustained effort to increase oversight over digital platforms, state regulators have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were utilized to organize and conduct terrorist acts inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud along with other offenses against citizens.

The regulator reported it initiated the block targeting Snapchat on October 10, though the move was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

This recent action come after similar restrictions imposed on popular services such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of restrictions intensified following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken deliberate and comprehensive initiatives to curtail the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Banning online services that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to observe and control online traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled previously in a case of intentional slowing by regulators. Authorities attributed the issue to Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted internet access with broad outages of mobile internet connections. The government claimed this was necessary to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts contended an additional move to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Platforms

The government has also moved against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in recently. This year, authorities outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the action by stating the platforms were being involved in criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have championed a so-called "national" messenger app called Max. Experts regard it as a possible monitoring instrument. The service explicitly states it will provide user information with the government if demanded, and analysts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework defines any platform where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation mandates that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and allow state security with the ability to monitor user accounts. Those failing to meet these demands are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that potentially a large number of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and warned that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Sites Also Targeted

In a related development, the government reported it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia in October, with approximately eight million monthly users.

While it is still possible to circumvent some of these restrictions by employing VPN services, such tools are routinely blocked by authorities as well.