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As part of a sustained crackdown to exert greater control over digital platforms, state officials have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were utilized to organize and conduct terrorist acts inside Russia, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor said it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, though the move was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

This recent action follow comparable blocks against popular services such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of bans began in earnest following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, the government have undertaken systematic and multi-pronged efforts to curtail the internet. Actions have involved:

• Adopting tough new laws.
• Outlawing digital platforms that fail to comply with state demands.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to track and influence online traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was slowed previously in what experts called targeted interference by officials. Russian officials attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

This summer, authorities tightened connectivity with widespread outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was necessary to prevent drone strikes, but critics argued another step to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Platforms

Authorities has also targeted widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were banned in 2024. This year, officials outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the measure by saying the two apps were being used for crime.

Simultaneously, authorities have heavily pushed a so-called "national" messenger app called "Max". Experts see it as a possible monitoring instrument. The platform explicitly states it will share user data with authorities when asked, and experts note it does not use full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any platform where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label requires that such services have an account with the regulator and grant state security with access to user data. Platforms that fail to do so are in violation and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that possibly many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and stated that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Platforms Also Targeted

In a related move, the government reported it was banning Roblox, citing child protection from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular game platform in Russia in October, with approximately 8 million active users.

Although it is still possible to bypass certain of these blocks by employing virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked by authorities as well.