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Amid a continued campaign to tighten control over online communications, Russian regulators have cut off access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were being used to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities within the country, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor said it enforced the restriction targeting Snapchat on October 10, though the move was only reported later.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions are part of similar restrictions imposed on key apps such as YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship intensified after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in calculated and wide-ranging initiatives to curtail the open internet. This has included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Outlawing online services that do not comply with local rules.
• Developing technology to observe and control internet traffic.

Other Instances of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted last year in what experts called intentional slowing by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its infrastructure in Russia.

This summer, authorities further restricted connectivity with widespread shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. Officials insisted this was necessary to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Authorities has also targeted popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in 2024. This year, officials banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the ban by claiming the services were being involved in crime.

At the same time, the state have heavily pushed a so-called "national" messenger app called "Max". Experts regard it as a potential tool for oversight. The app openly declares it will share user data with authorities if demanded, and experts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation obligates that such services have an account with the regulator and allow state security with entry to user accounts. Services failing to comply are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that potentially tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Sites Too Targeted

In a related development, the authorities reported it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, claiming it aimed at safeguarding minors from inappropriate material. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia in October, with nearly eight million players.

While it remains possible to circumvent some of these restrictions by utilizing VPN services, those are frequently targeted by officials as well.