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In a ongoing crackdown to increase oversight over digital platforms, state regulators have cut off access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were utilized to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud along with other offenses against citizens.

Roskomnadzor reported it initiated the block against Snapchat on October 10, though the announcement was only reported on Thursday.

Broader Campaign of Online Restrictions

These latest moves follow similar limitations imposed on key apps like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship escalated following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken calculated and comprehensive efforts to curtail the digital space. Measures have included:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Outlawing digital platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Developing technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was slowed in the past in an incident described as intentional slowing by officials. Authorities attributed the issue to Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

This summer, authorities limited connectivity with broad outages of cellular data connections. Officials claimed this was required to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts saw it as another step to assert dominance over the internet.

Action Against Communication Platforms

Regulators has also moved against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were banned in recently. Additionally, officials banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the action by claiming the platforms were being involved in criminal activities.

At the same time, authorities have actively promoted a so-called "domestic" messenger app called Max. Critics regard it as a possible monitoring instrument. The service openly declares it will hand over data with the government if demanded, and analysts note it lacks strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification obligates that platforms register with Roskomnadzor and grant state security with the ability to monitor user accounts. Services failing to meet these demands are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev pointed out that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and stated that further services refusing to comply with authorities "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Platforms Also Targeted

In a related development, the government announced it was restricting Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia in October, with close to 8 million monthly users.

Although it remains possible to bypass certain of these limitations by using virtual private network services, those are also often blocked by authorities as well.