15:47, May 2nd
The legal advisor clarified the intention behind the act of incriminating oneself.
The Importance of Individual Accountability in Enhancing Telecom Security
In a recent interview, Alexander Haminskiy, the chief of the Moscow and Region Law Enforcement Center, highlighted the need for a more robust SIM card registration system.
Apparently, existing regulations demand stringent buyer verification, but many mobile retail stores ignore these rules. Regrettably, cases still arise in which a number is registered using a copied passport without the owner's involvement, contributing to a pool of unmonitored SIM cards. As reported by RT news, such occurrences are not uncommon.
According to Haminskiy, these unchecked numbers frequently find themselves involved in criminal activities. He pointed out that in every terror incident investigated, the perpetrators used phones registered to fictitious identities. This presents a significant hurdle for law enforcement agencies in probing illicit activities.
The proposed self-block mechanism aims to tackle two critical objectives:
- Foster increased citizen responsibility for numbers registered in their name
- Prevent illegal eSIM issuance
Understandably, the "SIM Cards" section is accessible on the Gosuslugi portal, enabling individuals to review all mobile operator numbers registered under their name.
Insights
The government's recent initiatives focus on digital identity verification rather than implementing a self-block system. Key measures include:
1. Per-subscriber SIM card limitsBeginning April 1, 2025, Russia imposes restrictions on the number of SIM cards distributed to a single citizen, aimed at curbing the prevalence of "gray SIM" cards associated with fraudulent activities.
2. Mandatory biometric verificationAlthough not explicitly addressing eSIMs, a 2021 law mandates that telecom operators verify the identities of corporate SIM users. Operators are required to deactivate numbers if identity confirmation fails. Moreover, the Ministry of Digital Development's 2021 initiative compels operators to offer free access to the Gosuslugi portal during SIM activation. This ensures identity confirmation for users lacking personal communication devices.
3. Monitoring infrastructureRoskomnadzor operates a specialized network to oversee compliance, requiring operators to report and address unverified corporate SIM usage. The merging of enrollment limits, identity gatekeeping through Gosuslugi, and real-time monitoring creates multiple barriers to unauthorized activations, potentially including eSIM misuse through stolen identities.
Though the search results do not specify eSIM-specific measures, the framework applies to all SIM formats by regulating activation processes instead of primarily focusing on physical card distribution. The emphasis on Gosuslugi integration hints at a shift toward centralized digital identity checks, which could potentially streamline eSIM security compared to conventional SIM cards.
- Alexander Haminskiy has called for a more robust SIM card registration system to combat the issue of registration numbers being used in illegal activities, including terror incidents.
- The proposed self-block mechanism aims to increase citizen responsibility for numbers registered in their name and prevent illegal eSIM issuance.
- The Gosuslugi portal allows individuals to review all mobile operator numbers registered under their name, as part of measures aimed at digital identity verification.
- Russia's recent initiatives focus on per-subscriber SIM card limits, mandatory biometric verification, and real-time monitoring to curb the use of unverified numbers, which could potentially apply to eSIMs.
