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In a ongoing crackdown to increase oversight over online communications, Russian officials have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were being used to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor stated it initiated the block on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, even though the move was publicly disclosed more recently.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

This recent action follow comparable limitations against major platforms such as Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of restrictions escalated following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to rein in the open internet. Measures have included:

• Enacting restrictive laws.
• Outlawing online services that refuse to cooperate with local rules.
• Perfecting systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Other Examples of Blocks

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled last year in an incident described as intentional slowing by regulators. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

This summer, officials limited connectivity with broad shutdowns of cellular data connections. Officials insisted this was required to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics argued an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

The government has also acted against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in this year. Furthermore, officials banned voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the action by stating the services were being facilitating criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Observers regard it as a possible tool for oversight. The service explicitly states it will share user data with authorities if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any platform where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification obligates that platforms establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and grant Russia's security service with access to user accounts. Those failing to do so are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev pointed out that potentially tens of millions of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and stated that further services refusing to comply with authorities "will be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Also Affected

In a related move, the government reported it was restricting Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from illicit content. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest game platform in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million active users.

Although it is still possible to bypass certain of these restrictions by employing virtual private network services, those are also often blocked by officials as well.