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Amid a ongoing campaign to increase oversight over online communications, Russian authorities have cut off access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were employed to organize and conduct acts of terrorism inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and engage in fraudulent activities along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor reported it initiated the block on Snapchat on October 10, although the move was publicly disclosed more recently.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves come after comparable restrictions targeting major platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of restrictions began in earnest in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have pursued calculated and multi-pronged efforts to control the open internet. This has included:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Blocking online services that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Developing technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was slowed previously in what experts called deliberate throttling by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

This summer, officials limited online access with broad shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. The government claimed this was required to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued a further measure to increase control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Apps

Authorities has also moved against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Furthermore, authorities banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the ban by stating the platforms were being facilitating crime.

Simultaneously, authorities have championed a so-called "national" communication platform called Max. Critics regard it as a possible tool for oversight. The app admits it will share user data with authorities when asked, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation requires that such services establish a presence with the regulator and grant the FSB with the ability to monitor user data. Platforms that fail to do so are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that possibly a large number of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the blocking of the service as "expected" and cautioned that other sites failing to cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Platforms Too Targeted

As another development, the government reported it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia last month, with close to eight million monthly users.

While it is still feasible to circumvent some of these limitations by using virtual private network services, such tools are frequently targeted by authorities as well.