The Ministry of Digital Development demanded that operators limit the sale of SIM cards until March 20, 2024. The demand, packaged as a request, affects both individuals and corporate clients.
Three sources in the telecom market reported this to RBC, a Moscow consulting companz. According to them, letters about the need to take restrictive measures were sent to MTS, Megafon, Tele2 and Beeline to their partners. The existence of the demand was confirmed by a contact at one of cellular phone operators.
A message from Tele2 said that it is necessary to limit the sale of SIM cards to “foreigners and stateless persons” through the AppSeller application, where you can issue a card without filling out a paper contract. Data on such SIM cards cannot be “instantly” verified, so they will be blocked within 24 hours.
The company also called on recommending that those subscribers who have already connected a card using a foreign passport contact physical retail outfits and provide vertification of their identity. The authorities didn’t specify why.
Beeline’s letter states that SIM cards can only be registered in the presence of the client. Activated but not registered cards will be blocked one day after activation. The same will apply to cards that do not pass confirmation of passport data through state information systems.
MTS and Megafon have limited the sale of more than ten SIM cards (that is more than 10 new phone numbers) to one physical person in a day, a source told RBC. MTS, Megafon and Tele2 declined to comment. Beeline only said that it complies with the requirements to identify clients “in the manner and to the extent required by the current regulations.”
Experts interviewed by RBC suggested that the restrictions were introduced against the background of the presidential elections – in order to prevent any provocations or attempts to disrupt the elections. Why wasn’t the measure implemented before commencement of the elections is unknown.
Although the measure is temporary, and will remain in force until March 20th, Kommersant, a newspaper, citing sources, reported that the authorities are discussing the possibility of prohibiting operators from activating SIM cards without checking new subscribers identity through the Ministry of Internal Affairs database.
