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In a ongoing effort to exert greater control over digital platforms, Russian authorities have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were employed to plan and execute terrorist activities inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and engage in fraudulent activities along with other offenses targeting Russian citizens.

The regulator said it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat in early October, though the announcement was only reported more recently.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

This recent action come after comparable restrictions imposed on key apps such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of restrictions began in earnest in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken systematic and multi-pronged initiatives to curtail the open internet. This has included:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Banning digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Advancing technical capabilities to observe and control internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Access to YouTube was slowed in the past in what experts called targeted interference by officials. Russian officials pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened connectivity with broad shutdowns of cellular data connections. The government claimed this was necessary to counter drone strikes, but experts saw it as another step to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

The government has also moved against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. This year, officials outlawed calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the action by claiming the services were being used for crime.

Concurrently, authorities have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called "Max". Critics regard it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform explicitly states it will hand over data with officials if demanded, and analysts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation obligates that platforms establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and allow state security with the ability to monitor user accounts. Services failing to do so are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Sites Too Affected

In a related action, the government reported it was blocking Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia last month, with close to 8 million active users.

While it is still feasible to get around a few of these blocks by employing virtual private network services, such tools are also often blocked by officials as well.