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In a continued crackdown to tighten control over digital platforms, Russian officials have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that the two apps were employed to plan and execute acts of terrorism inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor reported it enforced the restriction against Snapchat in early October, although the move was publicly disclosed more recently.

Wider Campaign of Internet Control

These latest moves are part of previous restrictions imposed on popular services like Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of censorship escalated in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have undertaken calculated and multi-pronged initiatives to control the open internet. Measures have included:

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Blocking websites and platforms that fail to comply with state demands.
• Advancing systems to observe and control online traffic.

Other Instances of Blocks

Access to the YouTube platform was slowed in the past in an incident described as intentional slowing by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

In recent months, authorities limited connectivity with extensive shutdowns of cellular data connections. The government insisted this was necessary to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics contended an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Messaging Apps

Authorities has also targeted popular communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in this year. Furthermore, officials banned voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the action by saying the two apps were being involved in illegal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have championed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Observers regard it as a potential monitoring instrument. The service explicitly states it will provide user information with authorities when asked, and experts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Analysis

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label requires that platforms register with the regulator and allow state security with the ability to monitor user data. Platforms that fail to meet these demands are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that possibly tens of millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He called the blocking of the service as "expected" and warned that further services that do not cooperate with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Sites Too Targeted

As another action, the authorities announced it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, citing protecting children from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia recently, with nearly eight million monthly users.

While it is still possible to circumvent some of these restrictions by using VPN services, VPNs themselves are also often blocked by officials as well.