Earlier this month, I read the numbers at a bank in Moscow, Russia, following the guidance of an employee. The voices reading a total of three arrangements of numbers were being recorded. Before reading the numbers, I even took pictures of my face.
One of the hot topics of foreigners living in Russia these days is “biological information registration.” This is because the Russian government is requesting biometric information from foreigners who are using SIMs or want to open a new mobile phone there.
Foreigners who have already opened their mobile phones in Russia must register their biometric information by July 1. Perhaps due to the nature of the mobile phone, it collects face photos and voice information, not fingerprints.
However, the process of registering biometric information is not simple. First, you need to go to a notary office and get a notarized passport translation. After that, you need to go to the community center with a notarized copy and passport and get a personal insurance number, ‘Snills’, a type of pension account.
After receiving the Snills application, a community center employee gave ambiguous guidance, saying, “The number could come out right away or a few days later. A text message confirming the issuance may or may not go.”
If you confirm the issuance of the number, you will have to visit the community center again in two weeks and join the Russian government portal Gosuslugi, which is similar to Korea’s Government 24, based on this number.
Then, once you register your biometric information at a bank, you can visit a mobile carrier’s store and authenticate yourself with the SIM card you are using. Foreigners who want to open a new mobile phone in Russia must follow the same procedure.
The process was completed after visiting notarization centers, community centers, banks, and telecommunications companies about six times, including walking in vain due to errors. It was a hassle, but community centers and banks were open from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and opened on Saturdays. A Russian acquaintance said, “There were many citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) at the community center, and most of them seemed to be handling mobile phone registration.”
Although the process was complicated and it was reluctant to submit personal information, it was inevitable to meet the demands of the Russian authorities to stay in Russia for a long time.
Russia does not just collect biometric information of foreigners who use its mobile phones. It will collect biometric information of foreigners entering the country at all airports and land border checkpoints from October 30.
Accordingly, foreigners who are eligible for visa-free entry, including Koreans, must submit their face photo information directly through an application. Airports in Moscow have been collecting biometric information of foreigners entering the country on a trial basis since Dec. 1. When going through immigration, people are obliged to take photos with their thumb and four fingers on their electronic devices.
Russia’s justification for applying strict standards to foreigners is to strengthen security. The move is aimed at preventing terrorism, fraud, cyber threats and espionage by foreigners are on the rise.
The “Crocus City Hall” terror attack, which shocked more than 140 people outside Moscow in March last year, seems to have affected the move.
At the time, ISIS-K, a branch of the Islamic State (IS), claimed to be behind the terrorist attack and Central Asians were caught on charges of direct attacks, raising calls for countermeasures against migrants in Russia.
In particular, Russia claimed that the terrorist attack was related to Ukraine.
Since April last year, Russian authorities have pushed for a plan to collect biometric information on foreigners opening mobile phones in the country. The Russian Ministry of Digital Development said, “This is to reduce the possibility of committing illegal activities using communication networks.”
Russia is proud that “Russia is not isolated” even though it has been subject to intense Western sanctions for more than three years for its “special military operation” in Ukraine. Last year, the BRICS summit was held in its own country and on the 9th, it invited the leaders of more than 20 countries to hold a grand Victory Day military parade at Moscow’s Red Square to show off its strong performance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin still has around 80 percent support in his country. This is considered an indirect sign of support for Russia’s operation in Ukraine.
However, such public sentiment can be shaken if the number of terrorist attacks on Russian territory increases. Russia’s increased vigilance against foreigners in the country seems to have something to do with this.
EJ SONG
US ASIA JOURNAL
