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In a continued crackdown to exert greater control over internet access, Russian regulators have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were being used to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts within the country, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

The regulator said it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, although the move was only made public later.

Broader Context of Internet Control

These latest moves are part of comparable limitations targeting popular services like YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of restrictions escalated after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken systematic and multi-pronged strategies to curtail the open internet. Measures have included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Blocking websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Developing systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was throttled last year in what experts called deliberate throttling by the authorities. Authorities blamed Google for failing to maintain its infrastructure in Russia.

Recently, authorities tightened connectivity with extensive outages of cellular data connections. The government stated this was required to counter drone strikes, but critics argued a further measure to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Authorities has also acted against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in recently. Additionally, authorities outlawed voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by stating the services were being used for crime.

At the same time, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "national" messenger app called Max. Observers regard it as a possible surveillance tool. The service openly declares it will hand over data with officials if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations defines any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification requires that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and allow the FSB with the ability to monitor communications. Platforms that fail to do so are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that possibly tens of millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the service as "expected" and cautioned that other sites that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Too Targeted

In a related move, the government also said it was blocking Roblox, claiming it aimed at safeguarding minors from inappropriate material. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with close to eight million players.

Although it remains possible to circumvent some of these limitations by using virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked by officials as well.