Russia Restricts Snapchat and Restricts Apple's FaceTime, State Media Say

Amid a continued crackdown to increase oversight over internet access, Russian regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were utilized to plan and execute terrorist acts inside Russia, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

Officials reported it enforced the restriction against Snapchat in early October, although the announcement was publicly disclosed more recently.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves are part of comparable restrictions targeting major platforms such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of restrictions began in earnest after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, the government have undertaken calculated and wide-ranging efforts to rein in the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Blocking digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Developing technology to observe and control digital communications.

Recent Examples of Restrictions

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled previously in a case of intentional slowing by the authorities. Authorities attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

Recently, authorities tightened online access with broad outages of cellular data connections. The government claimed this was necessary to thwart drone strikes, but experts saw it as another step to assert dominance over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Authorities has also targeted popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. This year, authorities prohibited voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the ban by saying the platforms were being facilitating crime.

Concurrently, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "national" communication platform called Max. Experts view it as a possible tool for oversight. The service openly declares it will provide user information with authorities when asked, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any platform where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation mandates that platforms register with Roskomnadzor and grant Russia's security service with the ability to monitor communications. Those failing to meet these demands are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that possibly tens of millions of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and warned that other platforms refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

As another development, the government also said it was banning Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia recently, with close to 8 million monthly users.

While it remains feasible to circumvent some of these restrictions by employing VPN services, those are frequently targeted by the regulator as well.