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As part of a ongoing crackdown to exert greater control over digital platforms, Russian regulators have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Restrictions

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that these services were utilized to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials stated it enforced the restriction on Snapchat in early October, though the decision was only reported on Thursday.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

These new restrictions follow comparable limitations targeting key apps such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of bans began in earnest after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in calculated and wide-ranging strategies to control the internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Outlawing online services that fail to comply with state demands.
• Advancing technical capabilities to observe and control internet traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was disrupted in the past in what experts called targeted interference by the authorities. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

Recently, officials limited internet access with broad outages of mobile internet connections. Officials claimed this was required to thwart drone strikes, but experts contended an additional move to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Apps

Authorities has also acted against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in 2024. This year, officials banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the action by stating the platforms were being used for crime.

Simultaneously, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called "Max". Experts view it as a possible tool for oversight. The service admits it will provide user information with the government when asked, and analysts note it lacks full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label requires that such services establish a presence with the regulator and provide state security with access to user data. Services failing to comply are in violation and may be banned.

Seleznev estimated that potentially tens of millions of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the service as "expected" and cautioned that further services that do not cooperate with authorities "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

As another development, the government also said it was blocking Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from illicit content. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two game platform in Russia recently, with approximately eight million players.

While it remains feasible to circumvent some of these restrictions by using VPN services, those are frequently targeted by authorities as well.