Russia Considers Banning Foreign Registration of eSIMs

Restrictions for eSIMs. The government is considering a ban on registering electronic SIM cards (eSIMs) from abroad as part of a third package of anti-fraud measures. This was reported by sources of "Kommersant." A final decision on including such a measure in the document has not been made, emphasized two out of three interlocutors of the journalists. The Ministry of Digital Development stated that the third package is under discussion, so it is too early to talk about details. "Kommersant" does not specify which eSIMs are being referred to. However, judging by the text, the authors mean electronic SIM cards of Russian operators – they will not be registrable from abroad. eSIMs for bypassing blocks. At the same time, Russians, amid increased internet blocking, began buying foreign eSIMs linked to, for example, EU countries, "Novaya-Evropa" wrote. Some managed to use YouTube, Telegram, and other services without using VPNs this way. Electronic SIM cards can be purchased through special services for travelers. However, this method of bypassing blocks is not cheap – about three thousand rubles for 30 gigabytes of traffic. In addition, not all eSIMs can help bypass internet blocks in Russia. In particular, electronic SIM cards linked to countries with serious internet restrictions are incapable of this. Restrictions for M2M SIM cards. The government is also discussing another measure – restricting the distribution of M2M SIM cards (Machine-to-Machine). They are used for data transmission between devices, for example, in ATMs. Such SIM cards can be allocated to a separate category, introduce additional identification for users, and exclude the transmission of voice information and SMS through them, "Kommersant" sources said. M2M SIM cards are in a legal gray area, added one of the publication's interlocutors. Therefore, scammers often use them for spam calls, said Anastasia Bidzhellova, director for development and operation of telecommunication services at "Telecom Exchange." In addition, ordinary SIM cards are often sold under the guise of M2M SIM cards. This way, the buyer can avoid their registration with passport data, noted Yaroslav Dubovikov, executive director of the Association of Telecommunication Companies. Updated at 14:58 Moscow time: "Kommersant" article is about the ban on registering Russian eSIMs from abroad. In the original version of the news, the upcoming ban and bypassing blocks using foreign eSIMs were erroneously linked. We apologize to readers who may have been misled.