🔗 Share this article

Amid a ongoing campaign to increase oversight over internet access, state officials have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were employed to facilitate and carry out acts of terrorism on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials reported it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat in early October, although the decision was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves follow previous blocks imposed on key apps such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of restrictions escalated after the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued calculated and multi-pronged strategies to curtail the internet. Measures have included:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Developing technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Instances of Blocks

Access to YouTube was throttled last year in a case of deliberate throttling by regulators. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

In recent months, authorities limited online access with broad shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. The government claimed this was necessary to counter drone strikes, but critics argued another step to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Apps

The government has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in this year. Additionally, authorities outlawed voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the measure by claiming the two apps were being involved in illegal activities.

Concurrently, authorities have championed a dubbed "national" communication platform called Max. Observers see it as a potential monitoring instrument. The app explicitly states it will provide user information with officials if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations classifies any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification mandates that such services register with Roskomnadzor and allow Russia's security service with the ability to monitor user data. Those failing to comply are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that perhaps a large number of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and stated that further services failing to cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Platforms Also Targeted

As another development, the authorities announced it was banning Roblox, stating the reason was safeguarding minors from harmful content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia recently, with approximately eight million players.

While it is still possible to circumvent some of these restrictions by employing VPN services, VPNs themselves are routinely blocked by authorities as well.