🔗 Share this article

In a ongoing campaign to tighten control over internet access, state regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that these services were employed to organize and conduct terrorist activities on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor stated it took action on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, although the move was only reported more recently.

Broader Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves follow comparable blocks targeting major platforms like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of bans escalated following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have engaged in deliberate and wide-ranging strategies to control the digital space. This has included:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Outlawing digital platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Recent Instances of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted in the past in an incident described as intentional slowing by regulators. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted online access with widespread shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was needed to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts contended an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

Authorities has also acted against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in 2024. This year, officials prohibited calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the ban by saying the platforms were being used for criminal activities.

Concurrently, the state have championed a dubbed "national" messenger app called Max. Observers view it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform explicitly states it will share user data with officials if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation obligates that platforms register with the regulator and grant state security with entry to communications. Services failing to do so are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that potentially tens of millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the service as "expected" and cautioned that other platforms failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Sites Too Affected

In a related action, the authorities also said it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, citing child protection from illicit content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two gaming site in Russia in October, with approximately 8 million active users.

Although it is still feasible to bypass certain of these restrictions by employing VPN services, such tools are also often blocked by authorities as well.