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Amid a ongoing campaign to exert greater control over online communications, state officials have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that these services were utilized to plan and execute terrorist acts on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials said it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat on October 10, although the move was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves are part of comparable limitations imposed on popular services including Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of restrictions escalated following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued deliberate and comprehensive efforts to curtail the digital space. Measures have included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Banning digital platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to track and influence online traffic.

Recent Instances of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was disrupted in the past in an incident described as deliberate throttling by the authorities. Russian officials blamed YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its infrastructure in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened internet access with broad outages of cellular data connections. The government claimed this was necessary to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts argued a further measure to assert dominance over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Regulators has also moved against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in this year. Furthermore, authorities prohibited calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the ban by stating the platforms were being used for criminal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have actively promoted a so-called "national" communication platform called "Max". Critics see it as a possible surveillance tool. The service admits it will hand over data with officials if demanded, and analysts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification requires that platforms register with the regulator and allow the FSB with access to user accounts. Those failing to meet these demands are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and stated that other sites failing to cooperate with authorities "face blocking – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Platforms Too Affected

In a related development, the authorities announced it was banning Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular gaming site in Russia last month, with approximately eight million players.

While it is still feasible to get around a few of these restrictions by utilizing virtual private network services, such tools are also often blocked by the regulator as well.