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As part of a sustained effort to tighten control over online communications, Russian regulators have restricted access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that both applications were being used to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials said it initiated the block against Snapchat on October 10, though the announcement was only reported more recently.

Wider Context of Internet Control

These new restrictions follow comparable restrictions imposed on key apps such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of restrictions escalated in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, the government have pursued systematic and wide-ranging efforts to curtail the digital space. Measures have included:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Outlawing online services that do not comply with local rules.
• Developing technical capabilities to track and influence digital communications.

Recent Instances of Restrictions

Service for YouTube was disrupted previously in a case of deliberate throttling by the authorities. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

Recently, authorities tightened internet access with broad outages of cellular data connections. Officials claimed this was required to counter drone strikes, but experts contended another step to increase control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

Regulators has also moved against popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in 2024. Furthermore, authorities outlawed voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the action by saying the platforms were being involved in crime.

Simultaneously, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Observers regard it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform openly declares it will hand over data with the government upon request, and analysts note it does not use strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

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

This classification mandates that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and grant Russia's security service with access to user data. Services failing to comply are breaking the law and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that potentially tens of millions of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He called the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and cautioned that other platforms that do not cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Also Targeted

In a separate development, the authorities reported it was blocking Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from harmful content. Per data from research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia in October, with close to eight million monthly users.

Although it remains possible to bypass certain of these blocks by using virtual private network services, those are also often blocked by authorities as well.