🔗 Share this article

In a ongoing campaign to tighten control over digital platforms, Russian regulators have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that these services were employed to plan and execute terrorist activities inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor reported it enforced the restriction against Snapchat in early October, even though the announcement was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Context of Internet Control

This recent action are part of similar blocks against major platforms like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship escalated after the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken deliberate and multi-pronged efforts to curtail the open internet. This has included:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Outlawing online services that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Other Examples of Restrictions

Service for YouTube was disrupted previously in what experts called deliberate throttling by officials. Russian officials 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. Officials insisted this was needed to prevent drone strikes, but experts saw it as another step to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Platforms

The government has also acted against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. Additionally, authorities banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the action by stating the platforms were being involved in crime.

Concurrently, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "national" communication platform called Max. Observers view it as a potential monitoring instrument. The platform explicitly states it will share user data with the government upon request, and experts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework defines any platform where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This label requires that such services register with Roskomnadzor and allow the FSB with access to user accounts. Those failing to meet these demands are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev noted that perhaps many millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and warned that other platforms that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

In a separate development, the authorities also said it was banning the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from harmful content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular game platform in Russia in October, with nearly 8 million players.

Although it is still feasible to get around a few of these limitations by employing virtual private network services, those are also often blocked by authorities as well.