Russian Authorities Bans Snapchat and Restricts Apple's FaceTime, State Media Announce

In a ongoing crackdown to exert greater control over online communications, Russian officials have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Block

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were employed to organize and conduct acts of terrorism inside Russia, to enlist people and carry out fraud as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Officials said it took action on Snapchat on October 10, although the announcement was only made public on Thursday.

Wider Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves come after previous limitations against key apps like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship intensified after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have pursued deliberate and comprehensive initiatives to control the open internet. Actions have involved:

• Passing restrictive laws.
• Outlawing online services that fail to comply with local rules.
• Developing systems to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Recent Examples of Restrictions

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled previously in what experts called targeted interference by the authorities. Authorities blamed Google for failing to maintain its hardware in Russia.

This summer, officials tightened connectivity with broad disruptions of mobile internet connections. The government claimed this was needed to prevent drone strikes, but critics argued an additional move to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Platforms

The government has also acted against popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were banned in recently. This year, authorities banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the measure by stating the platforms were being involved in crime.

Concurrently, the state have actively promoted a so-called "national" communication platform called "Max". Observers view it as a potential tool for oversight. The service explicitly states it will share user data with authorities when asked, and experts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations classifies any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label obligates that platforms register with Roskomnadzor and grant the FSB with the ability to monitor user data. Those failing to do so are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the service as "predictable" and cautioned that other sites refusing to comply with authorities "face blocking – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Sites Also Affected

As another move, the government also said it was blocking Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular game platform in Russia recently, with close to 8 million monthly users.

While it remains possible to circumvent some of these limitations by using VPN services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by authorities as well.