Russian Authorities Restricts Snapchat and Cracks Down on Apple's FaceTime, Regulators Report

As part of a sustained crackdown to exert greater control over internet access, state officials have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Block

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that these services were employed to plan and execute terrorist activities inside Russia, to recruit perpetrators and engage in fraudulent activities along with other offenses against citizens.

The regulator reported it enforced the restriction against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, even though the move was publicly disclosed more recently.

Wider Campaign of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves come after previous restrictions against major platforms like Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of bans intensified in the wake of the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken systematic and comprehensive initiatives to rein in the open internet. Measures have included:

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Outlawing websites and platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing systems to track and influence digital communications.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Service for the YouTube platform was throttled last year in an incident described as intentional slowing by officials. Russian officials attributed the issue to Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

In recent months, officials further restricted internet access with extensive shutdowns of mobile internet connections. Officials claimed this was required to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts contended a further measure to tighten control over the internet.

Action Against Communication Platforms

Authorities has also acted against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in recently. This year, officials banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, justifying the action by claiming the two apps were being used for criminal activities.

Simultaneously, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" messenger app called "Max". Critics regard it as a possible surveillance tool. The service openly declares it will hand over data with the government if demanded, and analysts note it does not use strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

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

This designation requires that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and provide the FSB with entry to communications. Services failing to comply are in violation and face blocking.

Seleznev noted that possibly a large number of Russians had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "predictable" and warned that further services that do not cooperate with authorities "face blocking – it is inevitable."

Gaming Platforms Also Affected

In a related development, the government also said it was restricting Roblox, claiming it aimed at safeguarding minors from harmful content. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia last month, with close to 8 million monthly users.

Although it remains feasible to circumvent some of these blocks by using VPN services, VPNs themselves are frequently targeted by authorities as well.