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As part of a sustained effort to tighten control over online communications, Russian officials have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were utilized to plan and execute terrorist activities on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

Officials said it took action targeting Snapchat back on the 10th of October, although the announcement was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves follow previous blocks targeting major platforms such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. This wave of censorship escalated after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken deliberate and comprehensive strategies to rein in the digital space. This has included:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Banning websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with state demands.
• Advancing systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Other Instances of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was slowed previously in a case of targeted interference by the authorities. The Kremlin attributed the issue to Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

This summer, officials further restricted internet access with widespread shutdowns of mobile internet connections. The government claimed this was necessary to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts saw it as an additional move to tighten control over the internet.

Targeting Messaging Apps

Authorities has also acted against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in 2024. Additionally, officials banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the action by saying the platforms were being facilitating criminal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have championed a so-called "national" messenger app called Max. Experts view it as a potential monitoring instrument. The service admits it will share user data with authorities upon request, and analysts note it does not use strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations classifies any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label requires that such services have an account with the regulator and grant the FSB with access to user accounts. Those failing to meet these demands are breaking the law and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that perhaps many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and warned that further services failing to cooperate with Roskomnadzor "face blocking – that is clear."

Gaming Platforms Also Targeted

In a related development, the authorities also said it was banning Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from inappropriate material. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia in October, with nearly eight million active users.

Although it is still feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by employing VPN services, such tools are routinely blocked by the regulator as well.