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As part of a sustained crackdown to tighten control over digital platforms, state regulators have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were being used to organize and conduct acts of terrorism within the country, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes against citizens.

Officials said it initiated the block on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the decision was publicly disclosed later.

Broader Campaign of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions are part of previous limitations against popular services like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of censorship escalated following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to rein in the digital space. Measures have included:

• Passing restrictive laws.
• Blocking online services that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Advancing systems to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted previously in a case of intentional slowing by officials. Authorities attributed the issue to Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

Recently, authorities limited connectivity with broad outages of cellphone internet connections. The government stated this was needed to counter drone strikes, but analysts argued an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

The government has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Furthermore, authorities prohibited voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the action by saying the platforms were being facilitating illegal activities.

At the same time, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Observers see it as a potential surveillance tool. The app explicitly states it will hand over data with the government when asked, and analysts note it does not use full encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any platform where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label requires that platforms have an account with the regulator and allow Russia's security service with access to user data. Platforms that fail to comply are breaking the law and may be banned.

Seleznev estimated that potentially a large number of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the service as "expected" and warned that other platforms refusing to comply with authorities "face blocking – that is clear."

Entertainment Sites Also Targeted

As another development, the government reported it was restricting Roblox, stating the reason was safeguarding minors from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest game platform in Russia recently, with close to 8 million monthly users.

Although it is still possible to bypass certain of these limitations by employing virtual private network services, such tools are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.