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Amid a ongoing crackdown to tighten control over online communications, state authorities have restricted access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor claimed that these services were utilized to organize and conduct acts of terrorism on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor reported it took action targeting Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the decision was only made public more recently.

Broader Context of Digital Crackdown

This recent action follow previous restrictions targeting major platforms like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of bans intensified following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in deliberate and multi-pronged strategies to control the open internet. Measures have included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Blocking websites and platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Developing technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was throttled previously in an incident described as deliberate throttling by officials. The Kremlin blamed Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened connectivity with extensive outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials insisted this was needed to counter drone strikes, but critics contended a further measure to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Apps

The government has also moved against widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in 2024. Furthermore, officials outlawed calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the ban by stating the two apps were being used for criminal activities.

At the same time, authorities have heavily pushed a so-called "national" communication platform called Max. Experts see it as a potential surveillance tool. The platform admits it will provide user information with authorities if demanded, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

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

This designation mandates that platforms establish a presence 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 pointed out that possibly a large number of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and cautioned that other sites that do not cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Platforms Too Affected

In a separate move, the government reported it was blocking Roblox, citing protecting children from inappropriate material. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two gaming site in Russia in October, with nearly eight million active users.

While it remains feasible to get around a few of these blocks by using VPN services, such tools are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.