Roskomnadzor proposed a new way to identify connections to public Wi-Fi networks

During the last inspection of 18 thousand public Wi-Fi access points, Roskomnadzor recorded 5.5 thousand violations in the user identification procedure. In relation to telecom operators that provided access to the Internet through these points, administrative cases are initiated under paragraph 3 of Art. 14.1. Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (Doing business without state registration or without a special permit (license)).

The regulator also took the initiative to tighten control over access to the Internet using public access points. Thus, according to Denis Paltsin, the head of the department of control and supervision in the sphere of Roskomnadzor communications, the use of a specially developed application that will “tie” the Wi-Fi-MAC address to a connected device is suitable.

In the future, the mandatory for downloading the application will “check the compliance of the entered identification data and the data specified when purchasing a SIM card, and bind the MAC address to the user's identification data and Wi-Fi terminal equipment”. This idea was discussed in the framework of the all-Russian forum "Spectr-2016", held in St. Petersburg on September 20-21.
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Alt Linux CEO Alexei Smirnov, in his comments for the Kommersant newspaper, noted that the initiative has a number of weak points. The first is that not all devices that connect to Wi-Fi are equipped with SIM cards. Secondly, it is not completely clear how Roskomnadzor is going to support all existing platforms and operating systems, starting with older versions of Android and iOS, ending with a huge number of Linux distributions.

On the territory of the Russian Federation, a number of telecom operators have already provided identified access to the Internet via Wi-Fi access points. It turns out that the initiative of Roskomnadzor is directed, first of all, against public Wi-Fi networks deployed by individuals. At the moment, the legislation does not clearly regulate this issue and this type of connection is a kind of “loophole”. The only way to attract the owner of such a network is to prove that he provided Internet access on a reimbursable basis, that is, was engaged in illegal business activities.

Identification on the Internet when leaving public access points became obligatory after the entry into force of the government decree No. 758 on “Internet access” from August 13, 2014. Then the scheme was adopted with the obligatory sending of an SMS code to a telephone number, which is a fact of confirmation of identity through a telecom operator. Strengthened the position of this method mandatory provision of a passport when buying SIM-cards.

The Ministry of Communications and Mass Media has not commented on the initiative of Roskomnadzor. A number of telecom operators also declined to comment.