New Russian Law Imposes Tight Controls on SIM Cards, Messengers, and Bloggers

The State Duma has passed, in both the second and third readings, a law amending the Federal Law “On Communications” and other legislative acts of the Russian Federation, specifically clarifying the provision of communication services. Initially, the bill focused on strengthening control over SIM cards to reduce opportunities for fraud and other crimes using mobile communications. It also tightens the rules for foreigners purchasing SIM cards in Russia.

Telecom operators will now be required to verify subscriber information using documents provided by the subscriber, as well as through the Unified Identification and Authentication System (ESIA) or the Unified Biometric System (UBS).

The law states: “An individual may be allocated and provided with no more than twenty subscriber numbers by mobile network operators, including those used by legal entities or individual entrepreneurs.” These requirements will apply not only to foreigners, as initially proposed, but to all users.

Expanded Monitoring and Verification

The law significantly expands the section on monitoring telecom operators’ compliance with verifying subscriber information and information about users of services provided to legal entities or individual entrepreneurs. Under the new amendments, Roskomnadzor will check not only the accuracy of information about users who are legal entities or entrepreneurs, but also the number of numbers and the use of identification modules in user equipment specified in contracts with foreign citizens or stateless persons.

Roskomnadzor will conduct this monitoring using an information system designed to track telecom operators’ compliance. The requirements for this state information system, its operation, interaction with other systems, the list of such systems, and access procedures will be set by the Russian government. The operator of this system will be FSUE “GRChTs”.

Regarding services for foreigners, the law specifies that contracts for mobile services with foreign citizens or stateless persons cannot be concluded via the Internet. Such contracts must also include information about the user’s equipment, including the IMEI. Foreigners will be limited to a maximum of 10 numbers.

Cash Payments and Identification

Individuals using SIM cards registered to legal entities or entrepreneurs will only be able to pay for services in cash at commercial banks and other licensed credit organizations, post offices, or other organizations designated by the Russian government, and only upon presenting identification or using the Unified Identification and Authentication System, as established by the government. These organizations must transmit payer information to the telecom operator as per the rules for providing communication services.

“Payment for mobile services via cash using payment terminals is not allowed, except for terminals specifically equipped for such payments and meeting requirements set by the Russian government,” the document states.

New Rules for Bloggers

Initially, the bill did not address bloggers, but amendments were added in the second reading, changing the “On Advertising” law. It now states that if a personal page has an audience of more than 10,000 users on a social network, the page owner must:

• Provide Roskomnadzor with information to identify themselves. The content and procedure for providing this information will be determined by the government.
• Not allow information to be distributed on their page that was previously posted on a personal page not included in the relevant list.

Roskomnadzor will compile and maintain a list of users whose pages have more than 10,000 users. If a page is not on this list, its creator cannot legally place advertisements.

Ivan Begtin, director of the NGO “Information Culture,” believes the key issue is how the law will be enforced: “First, Russia equals the Russian language, and the Russian language equals Russia. Russian-language Telegram channels can be run anywhere in the world and target a broad diaspora. Their authors may have passports from Canada, Spain, Israel, Armenia, and dozens of other countries, or may have no connection to Russia at all. So by what criteria will Roskomnadzor relate them to Russia? By audience? Telegram doesn’t provide country breakdowns. By the owner’s citizenship? How would they know? By phone number code? That may not be Russian. Moreover, a Telegram channel can have many admins and authors, sometimes dozens. What then?”

Begtin adds, “It’s also important to remember that Telegram channels are not websites or domains. They can’t be blocked; the platform doesn’t allow it. So the main criterion becomes the placement of ads from Russian legal entities and entrepreneurs. That’s what could hit the wallets of Russian-language Telegram channel owners who earn from Russian ads and audiences.”

Strict Requirements for Messengers

Strict requirements have also been introduced for messengers. Some are surprising, such as the rule prohibiting receiving calls and messages from unknown numbers (i.e., numbers not in the contact list).

Additionally, instant messaging services, upon request from an authorized federal executive body, will be required to provide information about users. The content and procedure for providing this information will be set by the Russian government. Social networks will also be required to transmit user information to Roskomnadzor.

Well-known IT expert Mikhail Klimarev described the latest initiatives regarding messenger user identification (as well as bans on calls from abroad and possible “slowing down” of YouTube) as “resembling hysteria and an attempt to control anything possible as the runaway train heads downhill.”

“Of course, this won’t help,” Klimarev believes. “But if you think all the scary stuff is over, it’s not. Sorry, but it’s not. This means a crisis is coming that will make the collapse of the USSR or 1998 look like child’s play. The worst is yet to come,” the expert warns.

The Telegram channel “Coordination of Profanation” notes: “It will be interesting to see how this carnival is implemented in practice (I won’t discuss the technical aspects of this ‘legislative’ nonsense—it would be a waste of time) and to remind the chairman of the State Duma’s Roskomnadzor committee about the sad fate of the previous ‘blogger’ article—Article 10.2 of the Federal Law 149-FZ, which was repealed in 2017 without clear explanation after being adopted in 2014. Like the joke about the waiter and the bill—’It didn’t work out.'”

When the New Rules Take Effect

Some provisions will take effect as usual after the law is published, others on November 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025. The blogger-related rules will take effect on January 1, 2025.