🔗 Share this article

Amid a ongoing effort to increase oversight over internet access, state officials have cut off access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were being used to facilitate and carry out acts of terrorism on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor said it took action against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the move was only made public later.

Broader Campaign of Internet Control

This recent action are part of similar limitations imposed on popular services like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of restrictions began in earnest following the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have pursued calculated and wide-ranging efforts to rein in the open internet. Actions have involved:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Blocking online services that do not comply with local rules.
• Advancing technology to observe and control online traffic.

Other Instances of Crackdowns

Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted last year in a case of deliberate throttling by regulators. The Kremlin pointed the finger at Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

Recently, officials tightened internet access with widespread disruptions of mobile internet connections. The government insisted this was required to thwart drone strikes, but critics argued another step to assert dominance over the internet.

Targeting Communication Apps

The government has also targeted popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Furthermore, authorities banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the action by saying the two apps were being facilitating crime.

Simultaneously, authorities have championed a so-called "national" communication platform called Max. Critics regard it as a potential tool for oversight. The app openly declares it will provide user information with officials when asked, and experts note it does not use end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation mandates that platforms register with Roskomnadzor and provide the FSB with access to communications. Services failing to do so are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that possibly tens of millions of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and stated that further services refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Sites Too Affected

As another action, the authorities also said it was blocking Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second most popular gaming site in Russia in October, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

While it is still feasible to circumvent some of these restrictions by utilizing virtual private network services, those are frequently targeted by authorities as well.