Russia Blocks Snapchat and Restricts Apple's FaceTime, State Media Announce

In a ongoing effort to increase oversight over internet access, state regulators have restricted access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were being used to organize and conduct acts of terrorism on Russian soil, to enlist people and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

The regulator said it took action on Snapchat on October 10, although the move was publicly disclosed later.

Broader Campaign of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions come after previous restrictions targeting major platforms including Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of restrictions intensified in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken deliberate and comprehensive initiatives to rein in the open internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Banning digital platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Perfecting technology to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Other Instances of Blocks

Service for YouTube was throttled last year in an incident described as deliberate throttling by the authorities. Authorities blamed YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened internet access with broad outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was needed to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts saw it as an additional move to increase control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Platforms

Regulators has also targeted widely-used messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in this year. This year, authorities prohibited calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the measure by stating the platforms were being used for criminal activities.

At the same time, authorities have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Critics see it as a possible tool for oversight. The platform admits it will hand over data with the government when asked, and experts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label mandates that platforms establish a presence with the regulator and allow the FSB with entry to user accounts. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps a large number of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and warned that further services refusing to comply with authorities "face blocking – that is clear."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

In a separate action, the government announced it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from harmful content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular game platform in Russia recently, with nearly eight million monthly users.

Although it is still feasible to get around a few of these blocks by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by the regulator as well.