Russia Restricts Snapchat and Cracks Down on Apple's FaceTime, Officials Announce

As part of a continued campaign to increase oversight over internet access, Russian regulators have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were employed to plan and execute terrorist acts on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities along with other offenses against citizens.

Roskomnadzor reported it initiated the block against Snapchat in early October, although the announcement was only made public later.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions come after similar limitations imposed on popular services such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of restrictions began in earnest in the wake of the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to control the digital space. This has included:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Banning websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to observe and control online traffic.

Other Instances of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled previously in an incident described as targeted interference by regulators. Authorities blamed Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened connectivity with broad outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials insisted this was needed to counter drone strikes, but critics argued another step to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Platforms

The government has also targeted popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. This year, officials banned voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by saying the platforms were being facilitating criminal activities.

At the same time, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Critics regard it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform openly declares it will hand over data with the government if demanded, and analysts note it lacks full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

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

This classification obligates that platforms establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and allow Russia's security service with access to communications. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "expected" and warned that further services refusing to comply with authorities "are likely to be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Also Affected

In a related development, the authorities also said it was banning the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at protecting children from illicit content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular gaming site in Russia in October, with close to eight million players.

While it is still possible to get around a few of these blocks by employing VPN services, those are routinely blocked by authorities as well.