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As part of a sustained effort to increase oversight over internet access, Russian regulators have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were being used to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts within the country, to recruit perpetrators and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes against citizens.

Officials stated it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat on October 10, although the announcement was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

This recent action are part of similar blocks against major platforms like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of bans began in earnest after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to control the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Blocking online services that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to track and influence digital communications.

Recent Instances of Blocks

Access to YouTube was slowed last year in what experts called targeted interference by the authorities. The Kremlin blamed YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened online access with extensive outages of cellular data connections. Officials stated this was necessary to prevent drone strikes, but experts saw it as a further measure to assert dominance over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Apps

Authorities has also acted against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. This year, officials banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the ban by stating the services were being used for illegal activities.

Simultaneously, authorities have heavily pushed a so-called "national" communication platform called "Max". Experts regard it as a possible monitoring instrument. The app admits it will provide user information with authorities if demanded, and analysts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

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

This classification mandates that such services establish a presence with the regulator and provide Russia's security service with the ability to monitor communications. Those failing to meet these demands are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that potentially a large number of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the service as "expected" and cautioned that other platforms failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Also Affected

In a related action, the authorities reported it was restricting Roblox, stating the reason was safeguarding minors from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million players.

Although it remains feasible to bypass certain of these blocks by using VPN services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by the regulator as well.