The Security Council of Russia and the FSB are working on an identification system for users of online games

Today it became known that the Security Council of the Russian Federation ordered the FSB to introduce the identification of users of online games and social networks using mobile phones. The problem, according to the authorities, is that in game chats are used for communication by terrorists, writes RBC. Until June 1, 2018, the FSB, together with the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media, should develop additional measures to regulate the activities of information dissemination organizers on the network. We are talking about all the Internet resources that provide its users with the opportunity to exchange messages.



Other resources include online games and social networks, as well as instant messengers. On Geektimes it has already been reported that just the messengers from January 1, 2018 should conduct the mandatory identification of users by their mobile phone number, and also transmit this data to the law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation on request.



Nowadays, the activities of information dissemination organizers are regulated by the law “On Information, Information Technologies and Protection of Information”. According to this law, the CID shall provide, at the request of the FSB, encryption keys for user correspondence. However, now it is not required to identify users. But from January 1, 2018, amendments to the law will come into force, according to which one of the types of ORI - messengers will be required to carry out such identification. The owners of instant messengers will have to enter into contracts with mobile operators, requesting mobile phone numbers from users in order to identify them in the future through the operator’s database.

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At present, it is not entirely clear how the departments responsible for interaction with the ARI are planning to organize the process of information exchange. The details of this interaction should be described in the bylaws, which, unfortunately, have not yet been adopted. Next year, another law comes into force - the so-called “Spring Law”, according to which from July 1, 2018, the ORI will have to keep all information about the facts of user communication in Russia throughout the year and up to six months - the content of the correspondence.



“The requirements of the“ Spring Law ”make the proposal for additional identification of users irrelevant and redundant. Operators already identify subscribers under current legislation. Comparing the data of subscribers and users of the ORI will be a trivial task, ”says Karen Ghazaryan, Chief Analyst of the Russian Association of Electronic Communications. “In principle, social networks are now asking users for a mobile phone number to confirm their account. Apparently, the myth of terrorists talking in massively multiplayer online games is still relevant. ”



According to the head of Roskomnadzor, Alexander Zharov, the games are really used by terrorists for communication. In particular, in 2016 he claimed that the criminals responsible for the terrorist attacks in Paris communicated not only in encrypted messengers, but also in the PlayStation 4 cloud environment.



In the registry of the ORI, which was previously created by Roskomnadzor, there are already several dozen IM-services and social resources, including Telegram and WeChat, social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, Badoo and Mamba dating sites.



Representatives of the gaming field predictably opposed the initiative to introduce the identity of users of online games. For example, Sergey Orlovsky, the founder of the Nival game development company, believes that it is simply impossible to force all online game developers in the world to comply with Russian legislation. He claims that most game developers from abroad will ignore the requirements. The problem is that the creators of online games are not so dependent on the Russian market, as, for example, the developers of instant messengers. The share of the Russian games market from the world is only 2%, therefore, even if the games begin to block in the Russian Federation, publishers and developers have little to lose.



Nevertheless, there is also an opinion that in some cases online chats of popular games can actually be used to discuss issues of concern, including coordinating government opposition rallies. “Popular games like World of Tanks have a large audience, and in chat rooms they can really discuss a political agenda,” said a representative of the gaming industry, who wished to remain anonymous, to RBC.



Well, the head of the game direction Mail.Ru Group Vasily Maguryan says that the identification will allow users to protect their account. According to him, you can confirm your account in the game either using your email address or through social networks that are already tied to a mobile phone number. If new verification methods are introduced, this will provide more opportunities to protect your account.