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As part of a sustained crackdown to increase oversight over digital platforms, Russian regulators have restricted access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were being used to organize and conduct terrorist activities inside Russia, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials stated it enforced the restriction on Snapchat on October 10, though the announcement was only made public later.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions are part of comparable blocks imposed on popular services like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of restrictions began in earnest following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken calculated and comprehensive initiatives to rein in the open internet. This has included:

• Adopting tough new laws.
• Blocking websites and platforms that do not comply with local rules.
• Perfecting technology to track and influence internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was throttled in the past in a case of deliberate throttling by officials. Russian officials attributed the issue to Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

Recently, authorities limited online access with widespread outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics contended a further measure to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Apps

Authorities has also moved against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. This year, authorities prohibited calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the measure by stating the two apps were being facilitating illegal activities.

Simultaneously, authorities have heavily pushed a so-called "domestic" messenger app called Max. Critics see it as a possible monitoring instrument. The service admits it will provide user information with the government upon request, and experts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

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

This designation requires that platforms register with the regulator and allow state security with access to user accounts. Services failing to do so are breaking the law and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that perhaps many millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that other sites refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Sites Too Affected

As another move, the government also said it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from inappropriate material. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia last month, with approximately 8 million players.

Although it remains feasible to get around a few of these blocks by employing VPN services, those are routinely blocked by officials as well.