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Amid a continued effort to exert greater control over internet access, Russian officials have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were employed to organize and conduct terrorist acts on Russian soil, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

Officials stated it initiated the block targeting Snapchat in early October, although the decision was publicly disclosed more recently.

Broader Context of Internet Control

These latest moves follow similar blocks targeting key apps like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of restrictions intensified following the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have pursued calculated and wide-ranging efforts to curtail the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Developing technology to monitor and manipulate digital communications.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Service for YouTube was slowed in the past in an incident described as intentional slowing by the authorities. The Kremlin pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its infrastructure in Russia.

Recently, officials further restricted online access with broad outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was necessary to prevent drone strikes, but analysts contended another step to assert dominance over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

The government has also acted against widely-used messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in recently. Furthermore, authorities outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the ban by stating the two apps were being facilitating illegal activities.

Concurrently, the state have championed a dubbed "national" communication platform called "Max". Experts see it as a potential surveillance tool. The app explicitly states it will hand over data with officials when asked, and analysts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations defines any platform where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification mandates that such services have an account with the regulator and provide Russia's security service with access to communications. Those failing to do so are non-compliant and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and warned that further services that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Too Affected

In a related action, the authorities announced it was banning Roblox, citing child protection from illicit content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia last month, with approximately 8 million active users.

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