Russian Authorities Restricts Snapchat and Restricts Apple's FaceTime, State Media Report

Amid a sustained campaign to increase oversight over internet access, Russian authorities have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that these services were employed to plan and execute acts of terrorism within the country, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor stated it enforced the restriction against Snapchat on October 10, although the decision was only reported later.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

These new restrictions follow similar blocks imposed on key apps such as Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of bans began in earnest following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

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

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Blocking online services that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Perfecting technology to observe and control internet traffic.

Other Examples of Blocks

Access to YouTube was disrupted previously in a case of deliberate throttling by regulators. The Kremlin blamed YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened online access with broad outages of cellular data connections. Officials insisted this was necessary to thwart drone strikes, but critics saw it as an additional move to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Apps

Authorities has also moved against widely-used messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. This year, officials prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the ban by saying the two apps were being used for illegal activities.

At the same time, the state have heavily pushed a so-called "national" messenger app called "Max". Observers view it as a possible monitoring instrument. The app openly declares it will hand over data with the government if demanded, and experts note it lacks strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations defines any platform where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label mandates that such services establish a presence with the regulator and grant state security with access to communications. Services failing to meet these demands are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev pointed out that perhaps many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He called the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and cautioned that other platforms that do not cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that's obvious."

Entertainment Platforms Too Affected

In a related development, the authorities reported it was blocking Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia last month, with approximately 8 million active users.

While it remains feasible to get around a few of these restrictions by utilizing VPN services, such tools are also often blocked by the regulator as well.