Russia Restricts Snapchat and Restricts Apple's FaceTime, Regulators Announce

In a ongoing effort to exert greater control over digital platforms, state authorities have cut off access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were being used to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities within the country, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

The regulator stated it took action against Snapchat on October 10, although the announcement was only reported more recently.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves are part of previous limitations against popular services like YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of bans began in earnest after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in calculated and multi-pronged initiatives to curtail the open internet. Measures have included:

• Passing restrictive laws.
• Banning digital platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Developing technology to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted in the past in what experts called intentional slowing by the authorities. Authorities attributed the issue to Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

In recent months, officials limited connectivity with widespread shutdowns of cellular data connections. The government stated this was required to prevent drone strikes, but critics contended a further measure to increase control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Apps

The government has also moved against popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. This year, authorities banned voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the measure by stating the platforms were being facilitating illegal activities.

Concurrently, the state have championed a so-called "national" messenger app called Max. Experts view it as a possible monitoring instrument. The service admits it will share user data with officials upon request, and analysts note it does not use strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any platform where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification obligates that such services have an account with the regulator and grant Russia's security service with access to user accounts. Services failing to do so are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that potentially tens of millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and stated that other sites failing to cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Too Affected

In a related move, the government also said it was banning the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at protecting children from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia last month, with close to 8 million monthly users.

Although it remains feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by employing virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked by authorities as well.