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As part of a ongoing crackdown to tighten control over digital platforms, state officials have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were being used to plan and execute terrorist activities inside Russia, to enlist people and carry out fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

Officials said it enforced the restriction against Snapchat on October 10, although the decision was only reported later.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves come after previous blocks targeting popular services including YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of censorship intensified after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have undertaken systematic and comprehensive strategies to curtail the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Banning websites and platforms that do not comply with state demands.
• Developing technical capabilities to track and influence digital communications.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was disrupted last year in an incident described as intentional slowing by regulators. Russian officials pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, authorities further restricted online access with widespread outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials insisted this was necessary to thwart drone strikes, but experts contended an additional move to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Apps

The government has also targeted popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Additionally, officials outlawed voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the measure by claiming the two apps were being involved in crime.

At the same time, the state have championed a dubbed "national" messenger app called "Max". Observers see it as a potential monitoring instrument. The service openly declares it will provide user information with authorities when asked, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations defines any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label obligates that such services have an account with Roskomnadzor and grant the FSB with entry to user accounts. Services failing to meet these demands are in violation and may be banned.

Seleznev estimated that possibly tens of millions of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that further services refusing to comply with authorities "will be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Platforms Also Targeted

In a related action, the government also said it was banning Roblox, citing protecting children from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular game platform in Russia in October, with approximately eight million players.

Although it is still feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by employing VPN services, those are frequently targeted by officials as well.