🔗 Share this article Russian Authorities Restricts Snapchat and Limits Apple's FaceTime, State Media Announce Amid a ongoing crackdown to tighten control over digital platforms, Russian regulators have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple FaceTime service, FaceTime. Official Reasons for the Restrictions The regulatory body Roskomnadzor stated that these services were utilized to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities within the country, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes against citizens. The regulator said it initiated the block on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, though the announcement was only reported on Thursday. Wider Context of Digital Crackdown These new restrictions follow similar blocks targeting major platforms like YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. This wave of restrictions began in earnest after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine by Russia. During the tenure of Vladimir Putin, the government have pursued systematic and comprehensive initiatives to curtail the internet. This has included: Adopting stringent legislation. Banning digital platforms that do not comply with state demands. Developing systems to monitor and manipulate digital communications. Other Instances of Crackdowns Service for the YouTube platform was disrupted in the past in a case of targeted interference by officials. The Kremlin blamed Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia. Recently, authorities limited internet access with widespread outages of mobile internet connections. Officials claimed this was required to counter drone strikes, but experts argued a further measure to increase control over the internet. Targeting Messaging Apps The government has also moved against popular communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in 2024. Additionally, authorities outlawed calls via the WhatsApp app and Telegram, defending the measure by saying the two apps were being involved in criminal activities. Concurrently, authorities have actively promoted a so-called "domestic" messenger app called Max. Experts view it as a possible monitoring instrument. The app explicitly states it will share user data with authorities upon request, and analysts note it lacks full encryption. Legal Framework and Analyst Commentary According to lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any service where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer". This label obligates that such services register with Roskomnadzor and provide Russia's security service with access to user data. Services failing to comply are non-compliant and can get blocked. Seleznev noted that possibly many millions of Russians had been using FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and cautioned that other platforms failing to cooperate with authorities "are likely to be blocked – it is inevitable." Gaming Sites Too Affected As another development, the government also said it was banning the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from inappropriate material. According to research group Mediascope, the platform was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million players. Although it is still feasible to get around a few of these blocks by employing VPN services, such tools are also often blocked by officials as well.