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In a ongoing campaign to exert greater control over internet access, state regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that these services were utilized to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities inside Russia, to enlist people and carry out fraud along with other offenses targeting Russian citizens.

The regulator said it took action against Snapchat in early October, though the move was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Broader Campaign of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions follow similar limitations imposed on key apps like YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of restrictions began in earnest following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to curtail the digital space. Measures have included:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Outlawing online services that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Advancing technology to observe and control digital communications.

Other Instances of Blocks

Access to the YouTube platform was slowed previously in an incident described as targeted interference by the authorities. The Kremlin blamed YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened online access with widespread shutdowns of mobile internet connections. The government stated this was needed to prevent drone strikes, but experts contended another step to increase control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Platforms

Regulators has also acted against widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. This year, officials banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the measure by saying the two apps were being facilitating illegal activities.

Concurrently, authorities have heavily pushed a dubbed "national" messenger app called "Max". Experts see it as a possible tool for oversight. The service explicitly states it will provide user information with officials upon request, and analysts note it does not use full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework defines any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification mandates that platforms have an account with the regulator and allow state security with entry to user data. Services failing to meet these demands are in violation and may be banned.

Seleznev pointed out that potentially many millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that other platforms refusing to comply with authorities "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

As another development, the authorities reported it was banning Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia recently, with close to eight million active users.

While it remains possible to circumvent some of these restrictions by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are routinely blocked by authorities as well.