The Ministry of Digital Development advocated maintaining the traditional procedure for issuing SIM cards

MOSCOW, May 18. The Ministry of Digital Development advocates maintaining the traditional procedure for issuing SIM cards when introducing new opportunities, but at the same time the security of their sales should increase, The head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Maksut Shadayev, told reporters.
«With the development of new technologies for selling SIM cards, it should be possible to conclude contracts in the traditional format while increasing requirements for points of sale and introducing liability for those who violate identification requirements,» the minister said.
As the minister explained, we are talking about maintaining the multi-channel possibility of issuing SIM cards: both issuing electronically and selling SIM cards at trusted points — offices of the MFC and Russian Post, in addition to the offices of telecom operators.

Earlier on Thursday, the Kommersant newspaper, citing sources close to telecom operators, reported that the FSB and the Ministry of Digital Development are discussing tightening the procedure for selling SIM cards to Russian citizens. So, among the options: mandatory biometrics, sale of SIM cards in the stores of telecom operators, MFC and Russian Post, as well as the use of a digital signature.