Mobile Internet to be Blocked for 24 Hours for Russians Returning from Abroad

In Russia, a test period has been implemented where mobile internet and SMS are blocked for SIM cards that have not been used for over three days or for those returning from abroad. Calls from such phones will still be available, and the rest of the functions can be restored through the operator’s call center or via a link. According to the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, the mechanism started operating on November 10 in test mode. For subscribers with Russian SIM cards, a cooling-off period of 24 hours will be activated if the SIM card is inactive for 72 hours or upon return from international roaming. To restore access, the telecom operator will send an SMS with a link to a captcha – a small task to verify that you are human and not a robot. Once done, access to the internet and messages will be restored. Another way to ‘unlock’ the SIM card is to call the call center and go through phone identification. The Ministry does not specify what will happen when the cooling-off period expires, but most likely, access to mobile internet and messages will be restored automatically. Moreover, nothing is said about connecting to Wi-Fi – the phone should work as before.