🔗 Share this article

As part of a sustained effort to increase oversight over digital platforms, Russian officials have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Restrictions

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the two apps were utilized to organize and conduct acts of terrorism on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

Officials said it enforced the restriction against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, although the move was only reported on Thursday.

Wider Context of Internet Control

This recent action are part of comparable blocks against major platforms including YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of restrictions escalated after the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued systematic and multi-pronged initiatives to rein in the open internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Outlawing digital platforms that do not comply with state demands.
• Perfecting systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Crackdowns

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted in the past in what experts called targeted interference by officials. Russian officials blamed Google for allegedly neglecting its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, authorities further restricted internet access with extensive outages of mobile internet connections. Officials insisted this was required to counter drone strikes, but experts argued another step to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Apps

The government has also acted against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in recently. Additionally, officials outlawed voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the measure by stating the platforms were being involved in illegal activities.

Concurrently, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Observers regard it as a potential monitoring instrument. The platform openly declares it will share user data with the government if demanded, and analysts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

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

This label mandates that such services register with Roskomnadzor and grant state security with access to user data. Those failing to do so are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that potentially many millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and stated that other sites refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

In a separate move, the authorities also said it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, citing safeguarding minors from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia last month, with close to eight million monthly users.

Although it remains possible to circumvent some of these blocks by employing virtual private network services, such tools are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.