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In a continued effort to tighten control over internet access, state officials have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Justifications for the Ban

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor claimed that these services were utilized to organize and conduct terrorist acts within the country, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud along with other offenses aimed at the populace.

The regulator said it enforced the restriction against Snapchat in early October, although the decision was only made public more recently.

Broader Context of Digital Crackdown

These new restrictions follow similar limitations against popular services like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of restrictions intensified after the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in calculated and comprehensive strategies to control the internet. This has included:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Outlawing digital platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Perfecting systems to monitor and manipulate online traffic.

Recent Instances of Blocks

Service for YouTube was slowed in the past in an incident described as intentional slowing by regulators. Authorities attributed the issue to Google for failing to maintain its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, authorities further restricted internet access with broad shutdowns of mobile internet connections. Officials stated this was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued an additional move to increase control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Apps

The government has also moved against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in 2024. Additionally, authorities outlawed calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the measure by stating the services were being facilitating illegal activities.

At the same time, authorities have championed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Experts view it as a possible surveillance tool. The app admits it will hand over data with authorities when asked, and analysts note it does not use full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework classifies any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification obligates that platforms establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and provide the FSB with entry to user accounts. Those failing to meet these demands are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev pointed out that perhaps a large number of Russians had been relying on FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and cautioned that further services failing to cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Sites Also Targeted

As another development, the government announced it was restricting Roblox, claiming it aimed at safeguarding minors from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular gaming site in Russia in October, with approximately eight million players.

Although it is still feasible to get around a few of these limitations by using virtual private network services, such tools are also often blocked by the regulator as well.