Russia Restricts Snapchat and Restricts Apple's FaceTime, State Media Report

As part of a continued effort to increase oversight over online communications, Russian authorities have restricted access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple's video calling service, FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor stated that these services were employed to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities on Russian soil, to recruit perpetrators and carry out fraud along with other offenses against citizens.

Roskomnadzor said it initiated the block targeting Snapchat on October 10, although the announcement was only made public later.

Broader Context of Online Restrictions

These latest moves come after previous blocks against major platforms including Google's YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram service. These measures of censorship began in earnest following the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued deliberate and comprehensive efforts to rein in the digital space. This has included:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Banning online services that fail to comply with Russian regulations.
• Advancing technical capabilities to track and influence internet traffic.

Recent Examples of Crackdowns

Service for the YouTube platform was slowed previously in an incident described as targeted interference by officials. The Kremlin attributed the issue to YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

This summer, authorities further restricted online access with broad shutdowns of cellular data connections. Officials stated this was necessary to counter drone strikes, but critics saw it as an additional move to increase control over the digital landscape.

Targeting Communication Apps

Authorities has also moved against widely-used communication apps. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were restricted in 2024. Additionally, officials banned calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, explaining the measure by claiming the two apps were being involved in illegal activities.

Concurrently, authorities have championed a so-called "national" communication platform called "Max". Observers regard it as a potential surveillance tool. The service openly declares it will provide user information with the government when asked, and experts note it is not equipped with end-to-end encryption.

Regulatory Basis and Analyst Commentary

As explained by cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any platform where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This designation requires that such services have an account with Roskomnadzor and grant state security with entry to user accounts. Those failing to comply are non-compliant and face blocking.

Seleznev estimated that potentially a large number of users in Russia had been relying on FaceTime, particularly after restrictions were placed on other messaging apps. He described the blocking of the Apple service as "predictable" and warned that further services failing to cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – it is inevitable."

Entertainment Sites Also Affected

In a separate move, the authorities reported it was banning Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from inappropriate material. Per data from media monitoring group Mediascope, Roblox was the number two game platform in Russia recently, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

While it remains possible to circumvent some of these blocks by using virtual private network services, those are also often blocked by the regulator as well.