Digital Isolation: Ministry of Digital Development Bans SMS for Children, Threatening Blockage of Messengers and Social Networks

In August 2026, a serious conflict is brewing in the Russian digital space between state protection and user rights. The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media has published a new edition of the "Rules for Providing Telecommunications Services" for public discussion. The document, intended to strengthen the protection of minors from scammers, contains a radical provision: a complete ban on receiving SMS messages on children's SIM cards. This decision, which was supposed to become a shield against cybercriminals, is in fact turning into a wall separating children from the digital world.

De facto ban on internet registration

The essence of the innovation lies in the details. According to the document posted on the portal of draft regulatory legal acts, telecommunications operators are required to block any incoming SMS to numbers identified as belonging to children. An exception is made only for messages from state information systems (GIS), for example, the "Gosuslugi" portal. However, this measure has catastrophic consequences for daily life: without an SMS code, it is impossible to register or log in to accounts on social networks, messengers, and educational platforms. Thus, the blow is not only to advertising mailings but also to critically important authorization messages.

Operators' reaction: "This will kill the connection between parents and children"

Telecommunications operators, in particular "Vimpelcom," have already voiced harsh criticism of the project. The company noted that messengers are the main channel of communication between generations. A complete ban on receiving confirmation codes deprives children of the ability to use these tools. "Parents and children will not be able to instantly exchange important information, photos, videos, or geolocation," emphasize representatives of the telecom giant. In their opinion, instead of protecting against scammers, the state risks isolating children from their own parents by cutting off the fastest means of communication.

Contradictory data

There is a divergence in understanding the goals and consequences of the reform within the expert community and among government representatives. On the one hand, the Ministry of Digital Development insists that this is a voluntary measure: parents must notify the operator themselves that the SIM card is used by a child to activate protection. The goal is to reduce the risk of personal data theft and account sales. On the other hand, experts such as Karen Kazaryan from the Internet Research Institute point out a systemic problem: the law on ORD (organizers of information dissemination) requires resources to authorize by phone number. If SMS does not arrive, registration is impossible. It turns out to be a paradox: the state wants to protect the child, but deprives him of the right to access information and communication, as well as the opportunity for parents to configure parental control functions through separate accounts.

Technical and social risks

Leonid Konik, a partner at ComNews Research, raised another important aspect: not all children's SIM cards are correctly identified in operator databases. This creates a risk that adult subscribers whose numbers are mistakenly marked as children's may also be affected. In addition, Konik noted that the idea of "hermetization" from spam is good on paper, but in reality, children may need SMS confirmations from transport applications or educational platforms. Experts call the ban without taking into account the opinion of parents and children themselves a defeat of the rights of minors to information and communication.