🔗 Share this article

As part of a sustained campaign to tighten control over internet access, Russian officials have blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were being used to organize and conduct terrorist activities within the country, to enlist people and carry out fraud as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

The regulator reported it initiated the block on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the announcement was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Broader Campaign of Online Restrictions

This recent action are part of previous restrictions against major platforms like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship escalated following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken deliberate and wide-ranging initiatives to curtail the internet. Measures have included:

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Banning websites and platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to observe and control internet traffic.

Recent Instances of Restrictions

Access to the YouTube platform was disrupted in the past in an incident described as deliberate throttling by regulators. The Kremlin attributed the issue to Google for failing to maintain its infrastructure in Russia.

Recently, authorities tightened online access with broad disruptions of cellphone internet connections. The government insisted this was needed to prevent drone strikes, but analysts contended a further measure to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Apps

Authorities has also targeted widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in 2024. This year, authorities prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the ban by saying the services were being used for crime.

Concurrently, authorities have championed a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called Max. Observers view it as a potential surveillance tool. The platform explicitly states it will hand over data with the government when asked, and experts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary

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

This classification requires that platforms establish a presence with the regulator and provide Russia's security service with entry to user accounts. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that perhaps a large number of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and warned that further services failing to cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Sites Too Affected

In a related action, the government announced it was restricting Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia recently, with close to 8 million active users.

While it remains feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by utilizing virtual private network services, such tools are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.