🔗 Share this article

In a sustained campaign to exert greater control over digital platforms, state authorities have restricted access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Ban

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were utilized to organize and conduct terrorist acts inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor reported it enforced the restriction on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, although the decision was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

These latest moves follow previous restrictions against major platforms like YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of bans escalated in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued calculated and multi-pronged efforts to curtail the digital space. Measures have included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Blocking digital platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Developing technical capabilities to observe and control online traffic.

Recent Examples of Blocks

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

In recent months, authorities tightened connectivity with broad outages of cellular data connections. Officials insisted this was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued another step to assert dominance over the internet.

Action Against Communication Platforms

The government has also moved against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in recently. Furthermore, authorities banned voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the ban by claiming the two apps were being facilitating criminal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have championed a so-called "domestic" communication platform called Max. Experts view it as a possible monitoring instrument. The app openly declares it will hand over data with authorities if demanded, and analysts note it does not use strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation obligates that such services register with the regulator and provide the FSB with access to communications. Those failing to comply are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and stated that other platforms failing to cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Also Affected

As another development, the authorities announced it was blocking Roblox, claiming it aimed at safeguarding minors from harmful content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia recently, with approximately eight million players.

While it remains possible to bypass certain of these restrictions by employing virtual private network services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by the regulator as well.