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In a continued effort to exert greater control over internet access, Russian regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were being used to organize and conduct terrorist activities inside Russia, to enlist people and carry out fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

Officials stated it enforced the restriction on Snapchat on October 10, though the move was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

This recent action are part of similar limitations against popular services such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of restrictions escalated following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in systematic and multi-pronged strategies to curtail the open internet. Measures have included:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Blocking digital platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was disrupted in the past in a case of targeted interference by the authorities. Authorities pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened internet access with widespread shutdowns of mobile internet connections. The government insisted this was required to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts contended another step to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Apps

The government has also moved against widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were banned in this year. Furthermore, officials prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the ban by saying the two apps were being facilitating criminal activities.

Simultaneously, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called Max. Critics see it as a potential monitoring instrument. The service admits it will share user data with officials when asked, and experts note it does not use strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation requires that such services have an account with Roskomnadzor and grant Russia's security service with entry to communications. Platforms that fail to do so are non-compliant and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that potentially tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "expected" and warned that other sites that do not cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

In a related action, the government announced it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from illicit content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two game platform in Russia recently, with approximately 8 million active users.

While it is still feasible to bypass certain of these restrictions by utilizing virtual private network services, such tools are frequently targeted by authorities as well.