Russia Restricts Snapchat and Cracks Down on Apple's FaceTime, Officials Say

In a continued crackdown to exert greater control over online communications, state officials have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were employed to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

Roskomnadzor stated it initiated the block targeting Snapchat in early October, even though the decision was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

This recent action follow similar limitations targeting key apps including YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of censorship began in earnest in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, the government have engaged in calculated and multi-pronged efforts to control the digital space. This has included:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Outlawing online services that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Developing technical capabilities to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Recent Instances of Restrictions

Service for YouTube was disrupted in the past in a case of targeted interference by regulators. Authorities pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

Recently, authorities further restricted internet access with extensive outages of mobile internet connections. Officials stated this was required to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts saw it as a further measure to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Messaging Apps

Regulators has also acted against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in recently. Furthermore, authorities banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the ban by stating the two apps were being facilitating crime.

Concurrently, the state have championed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Observers view it as a potential surveillance tool. The platform explicitly states it will provide user information with the government upon request, and experts note it does not use full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Analysis

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

This classification requires that such services establish a presence with the regulator and allow the FSB with entry to communications. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that possibly a large number of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the service as "expected" and stated that other platforms failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

In a separate development, the authorities also said it was banning Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from illicit content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia in October, with approximately 8 million players.

While it remains possible to get around a few of these restrictions by employing VPN services, such tools are also often blocked by officials as well.