Amid a sustained crackdown to increase oversight over internet access, Russian officials have restricted access to Snapchat and placed curbs on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.
Official Reasons for the Ban
The regulatory body Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were being used to plan and execute terrorist acts within the country, for recruiting individuals and carry out fraud as well as various crimes aimed at the populace.
Roskomnadzor said it enforced the restriction against Snapchat in early October, although the move was only reported on Thursday.
Broader Campaign of Digital Crackdown
These latest moves are part of previous blocks against key apps like YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. The campaign of restrictions intensified following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in systematic and comprehensive initiatives to rein in the open internet. Actions have involved:
- Passing stringent legislation.
- Banning digital platforms that do not comply with Russian regulations.
- Perfecting systems to monitor and manipulate internet traffic.
Recent Instances of Blocks
Access to the YouTube platform was slowed previously in what experts called targeted interference by the authorities. Authorities pointed the finger at YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its infrastructure in Russia.
This summer, officials further restricted connectivity with extensive outages of mobile internet connections. The government stated this was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but analysts contended a further measure to tighten control over the internet.
Action Against Messaging Platforms
Regulators has also moved against widely-used messaging platforms. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were restricted in recently. Additionally, officials prohibited voice calls on the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the action by saying the services were being facilitating criminal activities.
At the same time, the state have championed a dubbed "national" communication platform called "Max". Observers view it as a potential monitoring instrument. The platform admits it will hand over data with authorities if demanded, and analysts note it is not equipped with strong encryption.
Regulatory Basis and Expert Commentary
As explained by lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any platform where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".
This classification requires that such services establish a presence with Roskomnadzor and allow the FSB with access to user data. Those failing to do so are breaking the law and face blocking.
Seleznev estimated that perhaps many millions of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the service as "predictable" and stated that other sites that do not cooperate with authorities "face blocking – that's obvious."
Gaming Platforms Also Affected
In a related action, the authorities announced it was banning the online game platform Roblox, citing protecting children from inappropriate material. According to research group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with approximately 8 million active users.
Although it is still possible to bypass certain of these limitations by utilizing virtual private network services, such tools are also often blocked by authorities as well.
