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

In a continued campaign to tighten control over internet access, Russian officials have cut off access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were employed to facilitate and carry out terrorist acts within the country, to enlist people and commit fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor reported it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, although the decision was only reported more recently.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These new restrictions come after similar limitations against major platforms such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of restrictions intensified after the 2022 military action of Ukraine by Russia.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, the government have undertaken deliberate and multi-pronged initiatives to control the open internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing tough new laws.
• Banning websites and platforms that fail to comply with state demands.
• Advancing systems to observe and control internet traffic.

Other Examples of Restrictions

Access to YouTube was disrupted previously in a case of targeted interference by officials. Russian officials blamed YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its hardware in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened internet access with extensive disruptions of cellular data connections. Officials insisted this was required to thwart drone strikes, but experts saw it as an additional move to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Platforms

Regulators has also moved against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in this year. This year, authorities banned voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the measure by claiming the two apps were being involved in criminal activities.

Concurrently, authorities have heavily pushed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Observers view it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform openly declares it will share user data with the government if demanded, and analysts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any platform where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification obligates that platforms establish a presence with the regulator and grant Russia's security service with entry to user accounts. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev pointed out that possibly tens of millions of users in Russia had been using FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and warned that other platforms failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Platforms Too Targeted

In a separate development, the authorities announced it was banning the online game platform Roblox, citing protecting children from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular game platform in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million active users.

While it is still possible to bypass certain of these limitations by using virtual private network services, VPNs themselves are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.