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In a sustained crackdown to tighten control over digital platforms, Russian officials have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were employed to plan and execute acts of terrorism on Russian soil, to enlist people and carry out fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor said it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat in early October, though the move was only made public later.

Wider Context of Internet Control

These latest moves come after similar blocks targeting major platforms like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of bans escalated following the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken deliberate and wide-ranging efforts to curtail the internet. This has included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Outlawing online services that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Advancing technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Other Examples of Blocks

Service for YouTube was throttled in the past in what experts called intentional slowing by the authorities. Authorities attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

Recently, authorities tightened internet access with broad shutdowns of mobile internet connections. Officials insisted this was required to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts saw it as a further measure to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Messaging Platforms

Regulators has also moved against widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in recently. Furthermore, authorities banned voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the ban by saying the two apps were being involved in crime.

At the same time, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Critics regard it as a possible tool for oversight. The app openly declares it will provide user information with authorities upon request, and analysts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law classifies any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label obligates that such services register with the regulator and allow the FSB with the ability to monitor user accounts. Services failing to meet these demands are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that potentially a large number of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and warned that other platforms refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

In a separate action, the authorities announced it was banning Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two gaming site in Russia in October, with approximately eight million players.

Although it is still possible to circumvent some of these restrictions by utilizing virtual private network services, such tools are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.