VimpelCom warns SMS ban on kids' SIMs will cut children off from messengers

VimpelCom has criticised a new draft of the Russian telephone service rules posted on the regulatory projects portal. The document elaborates on the second anti-fraud package adopted earlier and introduces a ban on SMS mailings to SIM cards used by minors. The restriction covers authentication messages for logging into online services, with an exception only for alerts from state information systems such as Gosuslugi.

The operator points out that the current wording implies a blanket ban on all SMS for children, including identification messages from Russian messengers operating within the law. VimpelCom stresses that such services are the primary channel for quick communication between parents and children. Blocking access to them for subscribers under 18 would remove the ability to instantly share important information, including location, photos and videos.

Under the draft rules, a SIM card is classified as a "child's" if it was bought by a minor with parental consent or handed over by an adult with a subsequent notification to the operator. This was stated by Alexey Golovchenko, managing partner of law firm Enso.

The Ministry of Digital Development, for its part, explains that the amendments empower the government to set rules for providing communication services to minors. Subscribers may inform operators about transferring SIM cards to children to enable additional protection. The proposed measure, a ban on SMS mailings including advertising and authentication messages for platform identification, is aimed at reducing risks for children. The ministry notes that the new rules define how operators are notified and what restrictions apply to such numbers.

Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev said back in early June that introducing age identification mechanisms for users of online platforms is an issue on the near-term agenda.