Russia Restricts Snapchat and Limits Apple's FaceTime, State Media Report

Amid a ongoing effort to exert greater control over digital platforms, Russian officials have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were being used to organize and conduct terrorist acts within the country, to recruit perpetrators and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials said it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the decision was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

This recent action come after previous limitations targeting popular services like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of bans intensified after the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued systematic and multi-pronged strategies to curtail the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to observe and control internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Service for YouTube was throttled previously in an incident described as deliberate throttling by regulators. Russian officials attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

Recently, authorities limited connectivity with broad shutdowns of mobile internet connections. The government claimed this was required to prevent drone strikes, but critics saw it as a further measure to increase control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Apps

The government has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in this year. This year, authorities banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the action by claiming the services were being facilitating criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Experts see it as a potential monitoring instrument. The platform admits it will provide user information with officials if demanded, and analysts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework classifies any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label obligates that such services have an account with Roskomnadzor and grant Russia's security service with entry to communications. Services failing to do so are non-compliant and can get blocked.

Seleznev pointed out that potentially tens of millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and stated that further services that do not cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Sites Also Affected

In a separate action, the authorities also said it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, citing child protection from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

While it is still feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by using VPN services, such tools are frequently targeted by the regulator as well.