In Russia, preparations have begun for the identification of Internet users by phone numbers

At the end of February 2021, it became known about the order, which was received from Rossvyaz (in the process of liquidation) by the subordinate Central Research Institute of Communications (TsNIIS). We are talking about a project to introduce in Russia a system for identifying Internet users with a link to a phone number.

CIIS should prepare proposals for legislative changes. The study that the institute will conduct is provided for by the national program "Digital Economy," explained to Kommersant in Rossvyaz.

Rossvyaz proposes to introduce the ENUM (E.164 Number Mapping) technology, which is a set of protocols for combining the world-wide E.164 telephone numbering system in public networks (PSTN) with an Internet addressing system (DNS). In other words, ENUM allows seamless connection of classical and IP telephony networks . With ENUM, the telephone number can be converted to a unique identifier (URI) in the dedicated domain zone e164.arpa. To do this, add the dotted digits of the phone number to its record on the left in reverse order.

In the Russian Federation, preparations began for the identification of Internet users by phone numbers

The publication says that the ENUM protocol previously began to use some mobile operators in Russia to provide call service using the Internet protocol (VoIP).

According to the source of the newspaper in one of the operators, the introduction of additional identification of users of Internet services is unnecessary and implies total control.

To identify users of government services, the Unified Identification and Authentication System (ESIA) is already used, and in other cases, e-mail, the same phone number or accounts on social networks, he said.

According to Sergey Andronov, director of the Jet Infosystems network solutions center, it is theoretically possible to use ENUM to create a single subscriber addressing system, but the introduction of the system on already operating networks can take up to 10 years.^[1]

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