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In a ongoing crackdown to exert greater control over online communications, Russian regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were being used to facilitate and carry out acts of terrorism inside Russia, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes against citizens.

The regulator said it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the move was only reported more recently.

Broader Context of Internet Control

These latest moves follow previous blocks against key apps including Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of bans escalated after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken calculated and multi-pronged initiatives to rein in the internet. Measures have included:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Outlawing online services that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to observe and control internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was throttled last year in a case of intentional slowing by the authorities. Russian officials pointed the finger at Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted online access with extensive outages of cellular data connections. Officials stated this was necessary to counter drone strikes, but analysts argued a further measure to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Apps

Authorities has also acted against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in this year. Additionally, authorities outlawed voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the action by saying the two apps were being involved in illegal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have championed a dubbed "national" messenger app called Max. Observers regard it as a possible tool for oversight. The platform explicitly states it will provide user information with the government upon request, and analysts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

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

This classification mandates that platforms register with the regulator and grant Russia's security service with entry to user data. Services failing to do so are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps tens of millions of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Also Affected

As another action, the government reported it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from inappropriate material. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly eight million monthly users.

Although it is still possible to get around a few of these limitations by using virtual private network services, VPNs themselves are routinely blocked by authorities as well.