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In a sustained effort to increase oversight over online communications, Russian regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were employed to plan and execute terrorist activities inside Russia, to enlist people and carry out fraud along with other offenses targeting Russian citizens.

Officials said it initiated the block on Snapchat on October 10, although the announcement was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves come after previous limitations against popular services such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of bans intensified following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken calculated and multi-pronged initiatives to control the internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing restrictive laws.
• Blocking digital platforms that do not comply with local rules.
• Perfecting systems to observe and control internet traffic.

Recent Instances of Restrictions

Access to YouTube was throttled last year in a case of targeted interference by regulators. Authorities pointed the finger at Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

This summer, authorities limited connectivity with widespread outages of mobile internet connections. Officials claimed this was needed to prevent Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts contended a further measure to assert dominance over the internet.

Targeting Communication Platforms

Regulators has also targeted popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in 2024. Furthermore, authorities outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the ban by stating the services were being involved in criminal activities.

Concurrently, authorities have actively promoted a dubbed "national" messenger app called Max. Observers regard it as a potential tool for oversight. The service admits it will hand over data with authorities if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations classifies any service where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification requires that such services establish a presence with the regulator and provide state security with access to user accounts. Services failing to do so are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that perhaps tens of millions of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Sites Also Affected

In a separate move, the government announced it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, citing child protection from illicit content. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest game platform in Russia recently, with close to eight million active users.

While it remains possible to get around a few of these blocks by utilizing VPN services, VPNs themselves are routinely blocked by authorities as well.