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Amid a ongoing crackdown to increase oversight over online communications, Russian officials have cut off access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were employed to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials reported it enforced the restriction against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, although the announcement was only reported on Thursday.

Broader Context of Digital Crackdown

This recent action are part of previous blocks targeting popular services such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of censorship intensified following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued systematic and wide-ranging efforts to curtail the digital space. Measures have included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Blocking digital platforms that do not comply with state demands.
• Advancing technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Instances of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled previously in a case of targeted interference by regulators. Russian officials attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened internet access with extensive shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was needed to thwart drone strikes, but critics contended a further measure to increase control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Apps

Regulators has also targeted widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. Additionally, officials prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the measure by claiming the two apps were being facilitating crime.

Simultaneously, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "national" messenger app called Max. Critics view it as a potential tool for oversight. The app explicitly states it will hand over data with the government if demanded, and analysts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

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

This designation mandates that platforms have an account with the regulator and allow the FSB with access to user data. Platforms that fail to do so are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that further services refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – it is inevitable."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

As another action, the authorities also said it was banning Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia recently, with close to eight million monthly users.

Although it is still feasible to get around a few of these restrictions by employing VPN services, such tools are also often blocked by authorities as well.