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Amid a ongoing campaign to increase oversight over digital platforms, Russian officials have restricted access to the social media app Snapchat and placed curbs on the Apple FaceTime service, Apple FaceTime.

Official Justifications for the Restrictions

Russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that the two apps were utilized to facilitate and carry out terrorist activities on Russian soil, for recruiting individuals and commit fraud along with other offenses against citizens.

The regulator said it enforced the restriction on Snapchat back on the 10th of October, even though the move was publicly disclosed later.

Wider Campaign of Online Restrictions

This recent action come after comparable blocks imposed on key apps like YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, and the Telegram messaging service. These measures of restrictions intensified after the 2022 military action of Ukraine.

Since Vladimir Putin, authorities have pursued calculated and multi-pronged initiatives to rein in the digital space. This has included:

• Adopting restrictive laws.
• Banning websites and platforms that do not comply with state demands.
• Perfecting technology to observe and control online traffic.

Recent Examples of Blocks

Service for YouTube was throttled previously in what experts called targeted interference by the authorities. Authorities attributed the issue to Google for allegedly neglecting its servers in Russia.

In recent months, officials limited online access with extensive shutdowns of cellular data connections. The government insisted this was needed to prevent drone strikes, but critics argued an additional move to assert dominance over the digital landscape.

Action Against Messaging Platforms

Regulators has also acted against widely-used communication apps. The encrypted app Signal and another popular app, Viber, were blocked in this year. Furthermore, officials outlawed calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, explaining the ban by saying the platforms were being facilitating crime.

At the same time, authorities have championed a dubbed "national" communication platform called "Max". Observers see it as a potential surveillance tool. The app admits it will share user data with the government when asked, and experts note it is not equipped with full encryption.

Legal Framework and Analyst Analysis

Per lawyer and expert Stanislav Seleznev, Russian law defines any platform where users can message as an "information dissemination organizer".

This designation obligates that platforms have an account with Roskomnadzor and provide the FSB with access to communications. Those failing to comply are in violation and may be banned.

Seleznev noted that possibly a large number of Russians had been using FaceTime, especially after restrictions were placed on WhatsApp and Telegram. He called the blocking of the Apple service as "expected" and stated that other sites that do not cooperate with authorities "will be blocked – that is clear."

Gaming Sites Also Affected

As another action, the government announced it was blocking the online game platform Roblox, stating the reason was child protection from illicit content. Per data from research group Mediascope, the platform was the second-largest gaming site in Russia last month, with nearly 8 million monthly users.

While it is still possible to bypass certain of these blocks by employing virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked by officials as well.