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Amid a continued effort to exert greater control over digital platforms, state officials have restricted access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Restrictions

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor alleged that these services were being used to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities within the country, to enlist people and commit fraud and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Officials reported it took action against Snapchat on October 10, though the decision was publicly disclosed on Thursday.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

This recent action follow previous blocks targeting major platforms like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of restrictions intensified in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have undertaken calculated and wide-ranging strategies to rein in the digital space. Actions have involved:

• Adopting stringent legislation.
• Blocking digital platforms that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.

Other Instances of Blocks

Service for YouTube was disrupted last year in what experts called intentional slowing by the authorities. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted internet access with broad shutdowns of mobile internet connections. The government stated this was necessary to counter drone strikes, but analysts argued a further measure to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Platforms

Regulators has also moved against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in recently. This year, officials prohibited voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the action by stating the two apps were being facilitating illegal activities.

Concurrently, authorities have championed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called Max. Critics view it as a potential tool for oversight. The platform explicitly states it will hand over data with the government if demanded, and analysts note it lacks end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation mandates that such services establish a presence with the regulator and grant state security with the ability to monitor user data. Services failing to comply are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that perhaps many millions of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and stated that other platforms refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Platforms Also Affected

In a related development, the government also said it was banning Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the second most popular gaming site in Russia recently, with approximately eight million players.

Although it is still feasible to get around a few of these restrictions by employing virtual private network services, VPNs themselves are also often blocked by authorities as well.