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In a sustained crackdown to tighten control over digital platforms, Russian officials have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and enacted limitations on Apple's video calling service, Apple FaceTime.

Stated Reasons for the Ban

The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor alleged that both applications were utilized to plan and execute terrorist activities inside Russia, for recruiting individuals and engage in fraudulent activities and other crimes aimed at the populace.

Roskomnadzor said it enforced the restriction on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, even though the decision was publicly disclosed more recently.

Wider Context of Digital Crackdown

This recent action come after similar blocks targeting major platforms such as YouTube, Meta's WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. The campaign of restrictions escalated after the onset of the conflict of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, Russian officials have engaged in calculated and multi-pronged initiatives to curtail the digital space. Measures have included:

• Passing stringent legislation.
• Banning websites and platforms that fail to comply with local rules.
• Developing technical capabilities to track and influence online traffic.

Other Instances of Blocks

Access to the YouTube platform was slowed last year in an incident described as deliberate throttling by regulators. The Kremlin blamed YouTube's owner, Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

This summer, authorities tightened online access with broad outages of cellphone internet connections. Officials claimed this was necessary to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts contended an additional move to tighten control over the digital landscape.

Action Against Communication Apps

Authorities has also acted against popular messaging platforms. Encrypted messenger Signal and the Viber service, Viber, were blocked in recently. Furthermore, authorities prohibited voice calls on WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the measure by claiming the platforms were being used for illegal activities.

Concurrently, the state have championed a dubbed "domestic" communication platform called "Max". Observers view it as a potential tool for oversight. The platform explicitly states it will hand over data with the government when asked, and analysts note it lacks full encryption.

Legal Framework and Expert Commentary

Per cyber security expert Stanislav Seleznev, regulations views any service where people can communicate as an "organizer of dissemination of information".

This classification requires that platforms have an account with the regulator and allow state security with the ability to monitor user accounts. Services failing to do so are non-compliant and may be banned.

Seleznev pointed out that potentially many millions of users in Russia had been turning to FaceTime, particularly after calls were banned on other messaging apps. He described the restrictions against the Apple service as "expected" and warned that further services that do not cooperate with authorities "are likely to be blocked – that is clear."

Entertainment Sites Also Affected

In a separate move, the authorities also said it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was protecting children from harmful content. According to media monitoring group Mediascope, the platform was the number two gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly eight million players.

Although it is still feasible to circumvent some of these limitations by utilizing virtual private network services, VPNs themselves are routinely blocked by authorities as well.