Russia Restricts Snapchat and Restricts Apple's FaceTime, State Media Say

In a ongoing campaign to increase oversight over internet access, Russian authorities have cut off access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were utilized to plan and execute terrorist activities on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor reported it initiated the block against Snapchat in early October, though the move was publicly disclosed more recently.

Broader Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These new restrictions follow previous restrictions imposed on key apps including Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of restrictions began in earnest after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, the government have undertaken systematic and multi-pronged efforts to rein in the internet. Measures have included:

• Adopting tough new laws.
• Blocking digital platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Developing technical capabilities to track and influence online traffic.

Recent Examples of Restrictions

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled previously in an incident described as targeted interference by officials. The Kremlin blamed YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted internet access with broad outages of cellphone internet connections. The government claimed this was required to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics argued a further measure to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

The government has also targeted popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. Additionally, officials outlawed voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the ban by claiming the two apps were being facilitating criminal activities.

At the same time, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Critics view it as a possible monitoring instrument. The platform openly declares it will provide user information with authorities if demanded, and experts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

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

This classification obligates that such services have an account with the regulator and provide state security with entry to communications. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that potentially tens of millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly 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 Also Affected

In a separate development, the government also said it was restricting Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from inappropriate material. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia in October, with approximately eight million active users.

While it is still feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are also often blocked by authorities as well.