đŸ”— Share this article Russian Authorities Bans Snapchat and Limits Apple's FaceTime, Officials Say In a ongoing campaign to increase oversight over internet access, state regulators have cut off access to Snapchat and enacted limitations on the Apple video calling service, FaceTime. Official Justifications for the Restrictions The regulatory body Roskomnadzor claimed that both applications were employed to organize and conduct terrorist acts within the country, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud as well as various crimes targeting Russian citizens. Officials stated it initiated the block against Snapchat in early October, though the announcement was only made public later. Broader Context of Internet Control These new restrictions come after previous restrictions targeting major platforms such as Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of bans escalated after the 2022 military action of Ukraine. During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued systematic and multi-pronged strategies to control the open internet. Measures have included: Enacting tough new laws. Outlawing websites and platforms that refuse to cooperate with state demands. Advancing technical capabilities to track and influence internet traffic. Recent Instances of Restrictions Service for YouTube was throttled previously in a case of deliberate throttling by officials. Authorities blamed Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia. In recent months, authorities limited connectivity with extensive outages of cellular data connections. The government stated this was needed to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics argued an additional move to assert dominance over the digital landscape. Targeting Messaging Platforms Regulators has also moved against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were banned in 2024. Additionally, authorities outlawed calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the action by claiming the platforms were being used for criminal activities. Simultaneously, authorities have championed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Experts view it as a possible surveillance tool. The platform admits it will provide user information with the government if demanded, and experts note it is not equipped with strong encryption. Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law views any platform where users can message as an "organizer of dissemination of information". This classification obligates that platforms establish a presence with the regulator and grant state security with the ability to monitor user data. Those failing to meet these demands are breaking the law and may be banned. Seleznev pointed out that possibly many millions of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, especially after voice calls were prohibited on WhatsApp and Telegram. He described the restrictions against the service as "expected" and warned that further services refusing to comply with Roskomnadzor "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable." Gaming Platforms Too Affected In a related move, the government reported it was banning Roblox, claiming it aimed at child protection from harmful content. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two game platform in Russia last month, with close to eight million players. While it remains possible to get around a few of these restrictions by utilizing VPN services, those are also often blocked by authorities as well.