🔗 Share this article

As part of a sustained crackdown to exert greater control over internet access, state officials have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that these services were being used to organize and conduct terrorist acts on Russian soil, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Officials stated it enforced the restriction on Snapchat in early October, though the move was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

These new restrictions are part of similar restrictions targeting key apps such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of restrictions intensified in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

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

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Blocking online services that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Advancing systems to track and influence digital communications.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was throttled previously in a case of targeted interference by the authorities. Russian officials attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

Recently, officials further restricted internet access with broad disruptions of cellular data connections. Officials claimed this was needed to counter drone strikes, but experts contended another step to assert dominance over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

Authorities has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in 2024. Additionally, authorities prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the ban by saying the platforms were being involved in crime.

Concurrently, authorities have actively promoted a so-called "national" messenger app called "Max". Observers regard it as a possible surveillance tool. The service admits it will hand over data with officials if demanded, and analysts note it does not use full encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations defines any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation requires that such services establish a presence with the regulator and allow the FSB with the ability to monitor communications. Platforms that fail to comply are non-compliant and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that potentially many millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He called the blocking of the service as "predictable" and warned that other sites refusing to comply with authorities "will be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

In a related move, the authorities announced it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular gaming site in Russia in October, with close to eight million players.

While it is still possible to bypass certain of these blocks by employing VPN services, VPNs themselves are routinely blocked by officials as well.