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Amid a continued effort to exert greater control over online communications, Russian authorities have blocked access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Reasons for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were employed to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud and other crimes targeting Russian citizens.

Officials stated it initiated the block on Snapchat in early October, even though the announcement was only made public on Thursday.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves are part of similar restrictions against popular services including Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of restrictions intensified following the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken calculated and comprehensive efforts to control the digital space. Measures have included:

• Enacting tough new laws.
• Banning websites and platforms that do not comply with state demands.
• Advancing systems to observe and control internet traffic.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Access to YouTube was disrupted last year in an incident described as targeted interference by regulators. Russian officials attributed the issue to Google for not properly maintaining its infrastructure in Russia.

This summer, authorities further restricted online access with widespread shutdowns of cellular data connections. The government insisted this was required to thwart drone strikes, but critics argued another step to increase control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Messaging Platforms

Authorities has also targeted widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in 2024. This year, officials prohibited voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, justifying the action by claiming the platforms were being used for criminal activities.

At the same time, the state have heavily pushed a so-called "national" communication platform called "Max". Critics regard it as a potential monitoring instrument. The service explicitly states it will hand over data with the government upon request, and analysts note it lacks strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary

As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations defines any service where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification mandates that platforms register with Roskomnadzor and grant the FSB with access to communications. Those failing to do so are in violation and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that potentially many millions of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on other messaging apps. He called the blocking of the service as "predictable" and stated that further services refusing to comply with authorities "face blocking – that's obvious."

Gaming Platforms Also Targeted

As another action, the government reported it was banning the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from harmful content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the second-largest gaming site in Russia in October, with approximately 8 million active users.

Although it remains feasible to circumvent some of these limitations by using VPN services, those are routinely blocked by officials as well.