UrBC, Moscow, November 26, 2015. Russia’s Counter-Extremism Committee suggests imposing more controls over the ways SIM cards get sold and purchased as a counter-terrorist activity measure; the plan is to have the SIM card application procedure changed as well, RIA Novosti reports.

The committee proposes, among other things, that legislative amendments be made for foreigners to be able to sign a contract with a mobile carrier for a limited time period only, that is, only for the time of their legitimate stay in Russia; correspondingly, a contract can only be renewed if a non-citizen’s visas/residence permits get renewed.

It was also suggested that Roscomnadzor (the telecommunications agency) should be in charge of pop-up inspections and mystery shopping at SIM card outlets.