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.

You Might Also Like

Putin's Internet Offensive
  • April 04, 2026

Putin's Internet Offensive

The Kremlin's "spring offensive" to shutdown the mobile internet, VPN services and Telegram, has revealed a dysfunctional regime.
A Thumbs Down, If You Could
  • January 12, 2026

A Thumbs Down, If You Could

Russian authorities have been pushing a "national messenger" app on citizens for a year. Now that it's out, many are avoiding it.
WhatsApp and Telegram Blocked
  • August 18, 2025

WhatsApp and Telegram Blocked

Russia has blocked phone calls on WhatsApp and Telegram. Novaya Gazeta Evropa gave tips on how to stay connected.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955