Roskomnadzor suggests using equipment installed by providers under the law on sovereign runet to restrict access to anonymization tools. The department separately attributed services for the use of virtual phone numbers to those. The description also includes numbers on Pavel Durov’s Fragment platform, which can be bought for cryptocurrency for anonymous registration in Telegram. Lawyers remind that the use of virtual numbers in itself is not illegal.

The amendments proposed by Roskomnadzor to the rules for centralized management of the public communications network will allow the installation of technical threat countermeasures (TSPU) on the networks of telecom operators, which will filter sites that allow anonymizing Internet users. The threats will include services that allow you to register on websites and instant messengers using a virtual phone number.

According to the draft, these changes will come into force on March 1, 2024. Currently, messengers in Russia are already required to identify users, which is done when registering using a mobile phone number. However, registration via virtual numbers is possible on services such as Fragment and popular messengers such as Telegram and Signal.

Experts note that recently scammers are increasingly using virtual phone numbers for their activities, including in SIP telephony. This helps them bypass the protection measures of mobile operators and not spend money on number substitution. In addition, cybercriminals are increasingly committing crimes. Roskomnadzor believes that access to sites that allow registration through virtual numbers violates the security of the Internet in Russia and facilitates the use of communication services for illegal purposes. Lawyers, however, remind that the use of virtual numbers in itself is not illegal.

Experts note that recently scammers are increasingly using virtual phone numbers for their activities, including in SIP telephony. This helps them bypass the protection measures of mobile operators and not spend money on number substitution. In addition, attackers are increasingly making calls through instant messengers, which also allows them to hide their true identity. In this regard, experts recommend being more careful when receiving calls and messages from unknown numbers.

Amendments to the rules for centralized management of the public communications network, proposed by Roskomnadzor, cause discussions among specialists. Some experts believe that they can negatively affect the security and privacy of Internet users, while others believe that this is necessary to combat cybercrime and ensure national security.