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Amid a sustained crackdown to increase oversight over internet access, state officials have restricted access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were being used to facilitate and carry out acts of terrorism on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud along with other offenses against citizens.

Officials stated it initiated the block against Snapchat on October 10, even though the decision was publicly disclosed more recently.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions follow comparable limitations targeting popular services including Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of censorship intensified in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in systematic and multi-pronged efforts to curtail the digital space. This has included:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Banning digital platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Advancing systems to track and influence digital communications.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Access to the YouTube platform was slowed in the past in a case of intentional slowing by the authorities. Russian officials pointed the finger at Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted internet access with extensive disruptions of mobile internet connections. Officials stated this was required to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts contended a further measure to increase control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Authorities has also targeted widely-used messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in 2024. Furthermore, officials prohibited calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the ban by saying the two apps were being used for criminal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have championed a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called "Max". Observers regard it as a possible monitoring instrument. The service explicitly states it will share user data with officials when asked, and experts note it does not use strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary

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

This classification mandates that such services have an account with the regulator and grant state security with access to user accounts. Services failing to do so are breaking the law and may be banned.

Seleznev pointed out that perhaps a large number of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and warned that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Sites Also Affected

As another move, the authorities reported it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia recently, with close to eight million players.

While it is still possible to circumvent some of these limitations by using VPN services, those are frequently targeted by authorities as well.