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As part of a ongoing crackdown to exert greater control over online communications, Russian officials have restricted access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were being used to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Officials stated it enforced the restriction against Snapchat on October 10, although the decision was only reported more recently.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves follow similar limitations imposed on key apps like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of censorship began in earnest after the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, the government have undertaken deliberate and multi-pronged efforts to curtail the open internet. Measures have included:

• Passing restrictive laws.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Advancing technical capabilities to observe and control digital communications.

Other Instances of Restrictions

Access to YouTube was throttled in the past in an incident described as targeted interference by the authorities. The Kremlin attributed the issue to Google for not properly maintaining its servers in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened online access with extensive shutdowns of mobile internet connections. The government insisted this was necessary to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts contended an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Apps

The government has also moved against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in 2024. This year, officials outlawed voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by stating the services were being involved in criminal activities.

Concurrently, the state have heavily pushed a so-called "national" messenger app called "Max". Experts regard it as a potential tool for oversight. The app explicitly states it will hand over data with officials if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification mandates that such services establish a presence with the regulator and allow Russia's security service with the ability to monitor user data. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev pointed out that perhaps many millions of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that further services that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Platforms Also Targeted

In a related development, the authorities reported it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest game platform in Russia recently, with approximately eight million players.

Although it is still possible to circumvent some of these limitations by utilizing VPN services, such tools are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.