Regulatory Authority Blocks 9.5 Million SIM Cards Owned by Foreign Nationals

Roskomnadzor announced the suspension of 9.5 million SIM cards that were registered under foreign citizens as part of an initiative to verify user data. According to information shared with «Rossiyskaya Gazeta,» the agency conducted an examination of over 424 million phone numbers from September 2023 to December 2024 to assess the accuracy and legitimacy of the provided data, out of which 24 million were registered on foreigners.

«Six million foreign nationals successfully completed the re-identification process, holding a total of 12.9 million numbers. However, 5.2 million foreigners failed the verification, leading to the termination of contracts for their 9.5 million numbers,» Roskomnadzor stated.

In addition, in January 2025, telecom operators blocked 989,200 SIM cards due to unreliable subscriber information.

«Throughout 2024, 128 million discrepancies related to the accuracy of subscriber information were identified. Of these, 124 million violations were rectified, and operators provided accurate data. However, for 4 million violations, correct information was not submitted, resulting in the blocking of those SIM cards and the suspension or termination of their contracts,» Roskomnadzor reported.

The numbers are verified through the Identification Module Status Control System (KSIM), which utilizes databases from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Federal Tax Service, and Unified System of Identification and Authentication (ESIA). Currently, all mobile operators are integrated into this system. When inaccurate information is detected, Roskomnadzor issues requests to operators to clarify the provided details.

Starting in April 2025, a new feature will be available on the «Gosuslugi» platform, allowing citizens to view all contracts for communication services registered in their name. This is expected to help reduce the number of contracts that have been registered using individuals’ documents without their consent.