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In a sustained effort to tighten control over online communications, state regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were employed to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities on Russian soil, to enlist people and commit fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

The regulator stated it took action on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, even though the move was publicly disclosed later.

Broader Context of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves come after previous limitations against major platforms such as Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of bans escalated in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to control the digital space. This has included:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Banning websites and platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Perfecting technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Instances of Blocks

Access to the YouTube platform was disrupted last year in what experts called intentional slowing by the authorities. Russian officials attributed the issue to Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

This summer, officials further restricted internet access with widespread disruptions of cellular data connections. The government insisted this was necessary to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts contended a further measure to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Apps

Regulators has also acted against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in recently. Furthermore, authorities prohibited voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the measure by stating the two apps were being facilitating criminal activities.

At the same time, authorities have heavily pushed a dubbed "national" messenger app called "Max". Observers view it as a possible tool for oversight. The service openly declares it will provide user information with officials if demanded, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label obligates that such services establish a presence with the regulator and grant state security with access to user accounts. Platforms that fail to do so are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that further services refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Sites Also Targeted

In a separate move, the government reported it was banning Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia recently, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

While it is still possible to circumvent some of these limitations by utilizing VPN services, such tools are frequently targeted by the regulator as well.