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Amid a sustained crackdown to increase oversight over digital platforms, Russian regulators have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were being used to organize and conduct terrorist activities within the country, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

The regulator reported it enforced the restriction on Snapchat on October 10, although the announcement was publicly disclosed more recently.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves come after similar limitations targeting popular services including YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of bans intensified after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken calculated and wide-ranging strategies to rein in the digital space. Measures have included:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Blocking websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Perfecting technology to track and influence internet traffic.

Other Instances of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was throttled previously in what experts called deliberate throttling by regulators. Russian officials blamed YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its infrastructure in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened connectivity with widespread disruptions of mobile internet connections. Officials insisted this was necessary to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics argued another step to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Apps

Authorities has also targeted popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in recently. Additionally, authorities banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by stating the two apps were being involved in criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Experts see it as a possible tool for oversight. The platform explicitly states it will hand over data with the government when asked, and experts note it does not use full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

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

This classification obligates that such services register with Roskomnadzor and allow state security with the ability to monitor user data. Services failing to do so are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev pointed out that potentially many millions of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Gaming Sites Also Affected

In a separate action, the government reported it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was safeguarding minors from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular gaming site in Russia in October, with close to 8 million active users.

While it is still feasible to get around a few of these restrictions by utilizing virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked by authorities as well.