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Amid a sustained campaign to increase oversight over internet access, Russian authorities have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that these services were employed to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

Roskomnadzor said it initiated the block on Snapchat on October 10, even though the move was only reported more recently.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

These new restrictions follow comparable limitations targeting major platforms like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of bans escalated following the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in deliberate and wide-ranging initiatives to rein in the open internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing restrictive laws.
• Banning online services that fail to comply with state demands.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to track and influence digital communications.

Other Instances of Restrictions

Access to YouTube was throttled last year in a case of deliberate throttling by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, officials limited connectivity with extensive outages of cellular data connections. Officials insisted this was required to prevent drone strikes, but critics argued another step to increase control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Apps

The government has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in 2024. This year, authorities banned voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the measure by stating the two apps were being involved in crime.

At the same time, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Critics view it as a possible surveillance tool. The app admits it will hand over data with the government when asked, and analysts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law classifies any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation requires that platforms establish a presence with the regulator and grant the FSB with the ability to monitor user accounts. Platforms that fail to comply are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that possibly many millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and stated that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Sites Too Affected

As another action, the authorities reported it was banning the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular game platform in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

While it is still possible to get around a few of these limitations by employing VPN services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by officials as well.