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Amid a continued effort to tighten control over digital platforms, Russian regulators have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were utilized to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud and other crimes against citizens.

The regulator said it initiated the block against Snapchat in early October, though the decision was only made public more recently.

Wider Context of Internet Control

This recent action come after comparable limitations targeting popular services including YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of restrictions intensified following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have pursued deliberate and multi-pronged efforts to curtail the digital space. This has included:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Banning websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was slowed last year in what experts called targeted interference by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

Recently, authorities tightened connectivity with widespread outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was required to counter drone strikes, but critics saw it as an additional move to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

Regulators has also targeted widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in recently. This year, officials outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the measure by claiming the two apps were being facilitating crime.

Simultaneously, the state have actively promoted a so-called "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Observers view it as a potential tool for oversight. The service explicitly states it will hand over data with authorities if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification obligates that platforms establish a presence with the regulator and grant the FSB with access to user accounts. Services failing to meet these demands are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev pointed out that perhaps many millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that other platforms refusing to comply with authorities "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Platforms Too Targeted

In a related action, the government also said it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, citing child protection from harmful content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two game platform in Russia last month, with close to eight million players.

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