July 13, 2026

Major Phone Restrictions for Minors


Major Phone Restrictions for Minors
The walls are going up. Vadreams

Big changes are coming in March 2027, aimed at decreasing cyber fraud and protecting the Russia's youngest phone users. Under a new government resolution, telephone operators will be able to restrict the messages children receive, except for those sent by government notification systems.

Any phone registered in a minor’s name will be subject to the strict new rules. Additionally, parents will gain access to apps for greater control over their children’s phone use.

The long list of new rules prohibits children from calling or answering messages from foreign numbers, and they cannot use roaming data abroad. Even content that young users browse on their phone will always be filtered. Logging in to websites may also become challenging, as minors cannot enter password-protected sites (including social media) other than those administered by official state services. Finally, and perhaps the least controversial rule of the bunch, is that operators will suspend minors’ accounts when they place calls on an empty balance.

Although the most extreme surveillance measures are aimed at children, they are not the only ones affected by these changes. All customers will have their services suspended while telephone companies confirm changes to personal data (such as a change of address or name).

Major telephone operators are currently reviewing the new plans, which are estimated to cost all providers R3 billion ($39 million) over the next six years. A large part of that cost is due to specialized software and upgraded data centers. ​

The expected restrictions are part of the government's Antifraud 2.0 program launched on June 26. The state is currently developing a centralized device database and working out a streamlined way to report scams, enabling victims to seek compensation if telecom operators fail to properly enforce fraud-prevention measures. Antifraud 2.0 will also scan banking apps for malware before any transactions are made.

When the cybersecurity measures are fully implemented next year, phone customers expect tighter restrictions not just on the content they browse, but also on how their devices are used and controlled. Russia’s newest method for protecting children appears to be by closing digital borders and isolating them from the outside world.

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