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In a continued campaign 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.

Stated Reasons for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were being used to organize and conduct terrorist acts within the country, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud along with other offenses targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor said it took action targeting Snapchat on October 10, although the announcement was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Context of Internet Control

These new restrictions are part of comparable restrictions targeting key apps like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of bans began in earnest in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have pursued deliberate and multi-pronged strategies to control the digital space. Measures have included:

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Blocking digital platforms that do not comply with state demands.
• Perfecting systems to track and influence digital communications.

Recent Instances of Restrictions

Service for YouTube was disrupted last year in what experts called deliberate throttling by the authorities. The Kremlin pointed the finger at Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

Recently, authorities tightened connectivity with broad outages of cellular data connections. Officials claimed this was required to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued an additional move to assert dominance over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

Authorities has also targeted popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in this year. Additionally, authorities outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the measure by claiming the services were being involved in criminal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have heavily pushed a so-called "domestic" messenger app called Max. Experts see it as a possible monitoring instrument. The platform openly declares it will provide user information with officials upon request, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification obligates that such services register with the regulator and allow Russia's security service with entry to user accounts. Those failing to comply are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that possibly a large number of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and stated that other sites that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Too Targeted

As another development, the government announced it was banning the online game platform Roblox, citing protecting children from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest game platform in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million active users.

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