Reading the news that internet access in public places is now only available with a passport, the first reaction is: that can't possibly be true. It's absurd. Better read the actual decree—surely the journalists got something wrong.
I read the decree, and I can say this: it really is exactly as bad as it seems—and even a little worse.
Let's take a look together:
So yes, in effect, Russia has introduced passport-based access to the internet.
You can connect to the internet in a public place only by presenting an identity document and providing all your personal details.
Your passport details will be linked to the device you used to connect to the internet—the unique identifier of your phone, iPad, computer, and so on. In other words, the state will effectively create a database containing full name - device - location and date of access for everyone who connects in a public place. If you have several devices, there will be a database where someone can see: right, Petrov, here's his phone, and here's his laptop.
Whoever provides the access—for example, a café—must store the data for at least six months.
(and this is where it gets truly insane) If you work at LLC "Romashka," where five employees use the internet in the office (or likewise at OJSC "Gazprom," where 10,000 employees use the internet in the office), then your LLC "Romashka" must, once every three months, submit to the telecom operator a list of everyone using the internet, including their full names, passport details, and home addresses.
Given that a decree was recently adopted under which the security services get unrestricted access to social media posts, a real "Big Brother" is being built before our eyes—the very thing people joked about for so long: a system that knows who wrote, what they wrote, when, from where, and from what device.
It also has to be said that these rules are idiotic and extremely hard to comply with. At least at first, absolutely everyone will be violating them. Which creates enormous room for arbitrary enforcement.
Just think how many times lately, in your office, you've answered the question, "What's the password for your guest Wi-Fi?" Now, before giving out the password, you'll have to write down the person's passport details. Are you really going to do that?
This is, of course, a colossal blow to the development of the internet in Russia, and more broadly a serious obstacle to the country's development and infrastructure. Just look: 1.8 billion rubles have already been invested in rolling out Wi-Fi in the Moscow Metro. And now what? Sure, some users will register with their passports—but far from all of them.
The direct losses for businesses that will have to comply with these rules will run into the billions of dollars.
And just think: all of this simply because two or three thieving mugs don't want people saying nasty things about them online.
Update: The flood of reports about passport-based access has now been followed by an equally massive wave of denials. The government—Moscow's, for now—says this will apply only to access points at Russian Post. http://itar-tass.com/obschestvo/1368342 http://slon.ru/fast/russia/pravitelstvo-moskvy-oproverglo-razdachu-wi-fi-po-pasportam-1140375.xhtml http://tvrain.ru/articles/merija_moskvy_oprovergla_zapret_anonimnogo_dostupa_k_wi_fi-373719/ All of this looks pretty strange. A massive information dump, then several hours of silence, and now a denial. It looks like a classic test of public opinion. Well, okay. Let's assume public opinion reacted the right way, and that this kind of internet-related trash won't happen anytime soon.
Update 2:
And there you have it: Communications Minister Nikolai Nikiforov confirms that access to Wi-Fi will be by passport.