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As part of a sustained effort to tighten control over digital platforms, Russian officials have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were employed to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts inside Russia, to enlist people and carry out fraud and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials said it took action on Snapchat on October 10, though the move was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

This recent action come after comparable blocks imposed on popular services like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of bans escalated in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in deliberate and multi-pronged efforts to rein in the internet. Measures have included:

• Passing restrictive laws.
• Banning digital platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Developing technology to track and influence online traffic.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was slowed last year in what experts called targeted interference by the authorities. Russian officials blamed YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

Recently, authorities limited internet access with extensive shutdowns of cellular data connections. The government claimed this was needed to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts argued another step to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Apps

Authorities has also acted against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. Furthermore, authorities banned voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the measure by saying the services were being involved in crime.

At the same time, authorities have championed a dubbed "national" communication platform called Max. Critics see it as a possible monitoring instrument. The service openly declares it will provide user information with the government if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

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

This classification requires that such services establish a presence with the regulator and grant the FSB with the ability to monitor communications. Services failing to meet these demands are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and stated that other sites failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Sites Too Targeted

In a related move, the authorities reported it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from harmful content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia in October, with nearly 8 million players.

While it remains possible to get around a few of these restrictions by utilizing virtual private network services, those are also often blocked by the regulator as well.