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As part of a ongoing effort to exert greater control over online communications, state regulators have restricted access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were being used to plan and execute acts of terrorism within the country, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

The regulator said it enforced the restriction against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the announcement was only made public on Thursday.

Broader Context of Internet Control

These new restrictions come after similar restrictions against major platforms such as Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of restrictions intensified after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have undertaken systematic and wide-ranging strategies to rein in the internet. This has included:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Banning digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Developing technology to track and influence online traffic.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled previously in an incident described as targeted interference by officials. Authorities attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, authorities further restricted connectivity with widespread outages of mobile internet connections. The government claimed this was required to counter drone strikes, but analysts contended another step to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

The government has also moved against popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. Additionally, officials banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by saying the services were being involved in crime.

Simultaneously, the state have heavily pushed a so-called "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Observers view it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform admits it will provide user information with officials upon request, and experts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification requires that such services register with Roskomnadzor and grant Russia's security service with access to user data. Those failing to comply are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that possibly tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that other sites failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Platforms Also Targeted

In a related development, the authorities announced it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from inappropriate material. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia in October, with nearly eight million players.

Although it remains possible to get around a few of these limitations by utilizing VPN services, those are routinely blocked by authorities as well.