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In a sustained effort to exert greater control over digital platforms, Russian regulators have restricted access to Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Restrictions

The regulatory body Roskomnadzor claimed that these services were utilized to plan and execute terrorist activities within the country, to recruit perpetrators and commit fraud and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Roskomnadzor said it enforced the restriction against Snapchat back on the 10th of October, although the move was only reported on Thursday.

Broader Campaign of Internet Control

This recent action follow comparable restrictions targeting key apps such as Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship began in earnest following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued calculated and wide-ranging efforts to control the internet. Actions have involved:

• Enacting stringent legislation.
• Outlawing digital platforms that do not comply with local rules.
• Perfecting technical capabilities to track and influence digital communications.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Access to YouTube was slowed last year in an incident described as targeted interference by regulators. Russian officials blamed YouTube's owner, Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia.

This summer, authorities limited connectivity with extensive shutdowns of cellular data connections. The government insisted this was necessary to counter drone strikes, but experts saw it as an additional move to increase control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Platforms

Regulators has also targeted popular messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in this year. Furthermore, officials banned calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the action by stating the services were being facilitating criminal activities.

Concurrently, the state have championed a so-called "domestic" messenger app called Max. Critics view it as a potential tool for oversight. The app explicitly states it will provide user information with authorities upon request, and analysts note it lacks strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations defines any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This classification mandates that platforms have an account with the regulator and allow the FSB with entry to user data. Platforms that fail to do so are in violation and can get blocked.

Seleznev estimated that potentially tens of millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He called the blocking of the service as "expected" and cautioned that further services failing to cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – that's obvious."

Entertainment Sites Also Affected

In a related action, the authorities announced it was restricting the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from inappropriate material. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia in October, with approximately eight million monthly users.

While it is still feasible to circumvent some of these restrictions by using VPN services, those are also often blocked by authorities as well.