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As part of a sustained effort to increase oversight over online communications, Russian authorities have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that these services were utilized to organize and conduct terrorist activities on Russian soil, to enlist people and carry out fraud as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor said it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat in early October, though the decision was only made public more recently.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves are part of comparable restrictions imposed on popular services like YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of censorship escalated following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken calculated and comprehensive strategies to rein in the digital space. This has included:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to track and influence internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Access to the YouTube platform was disrupted last year in an incident described as intentional slowing by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened connectivity with widespread outages of cellular data connections. Officials stated 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 Communication Platforms

The government has also acted against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in 2024. This year, officials prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the ban by stating the services were being used for illegal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have heavily pushed a so-called "national" messenger app called "Max". Experts regard it as a potential surveillance tool. The app admits it will provide user information with the government when asked, and experts note it lacks strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

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

This designation requires that platforms have an account with the regulator and allow Russia's security service with entry to communications. Services failing to meet these demands are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps a large number of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the service as "expected" and cautioned that other platforms that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that is clear."

Entertainment Platforms Too Targeted

In a separate development, the authorities reported it was restricting Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from illicit content. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia in October, with nearly eight million monthly users.

Although it remains feasible to circumvent some of these restrictions by employing VPN services, those are routinely blocked by authorities as well.