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In a sustained campaign to increase oversight over online communications, state regulators have blocked access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's FaceTime service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Block

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that these services were utilized to organize and conduct terrorist activities inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud as well as various crimes against citizens.

Roskomnadzor stated it enforced the restriction on Snapchat in early October, although the move was only reported later.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

These latest moves are part of similar blocks targeting key apps such as Google's YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of censorship intensified following the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have undertaken deliberate and comprehensive efforts to rein in the internet. This has included:

• Adopting tough new laws.
• Banning digital platforms that refuse to cooperate with Russian regulations.
• Developing systems to track and influence digital communications.

Other Examples of Crackdowns

Access to the YouTube platform was throttled previously in an incident described as deliberate throttling by the authorities. The Kremlin pointed the finger at Google for failing to maintain its servers in Russia.

In recent months, officials tightened connectivity with widespread outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials insisted this was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts contended a further measure to increase control over the internet.

Targeting Communication Platforms

Regulators has also targeted widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in 2024. Furthermore, authorities prohibited calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, defending the ban by stating the services were being facilitating illegal activities.

Concurrently, the state have actively promoted a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Critics regard it as a potential tool for oversight. The app openly declares it will provide user information with authorities if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Expert Analysis

According to cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, the legal framework views any platform where people can communicate as an "information dissemination organizer".

This label mandates that such services have an account with Roskomnadzor and provide state security with access to communications. Platforms that fail to do so are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that possibly many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that other sites refusing to comply with authorities "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Gaming Sites Too Affected

In a separate action, the government announced it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from inappropriate material. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two gaming site in Russia recently, with close to 8 million monthly users.

Although it is still possible to get around a few of these restrictions by utilizing VPN services, those are also often blocked by officials as well.