PRESS: Russian service wants all public Wi-Fi users identified

MOSCOW, Sep 22 (PRIME) -- The Russian communications service has suggested implementing special software for subscriber devices to identify users of Wi-Fi networks of Internet access and insists on administrative responsibility for individuals-owners of such networks, business daily Kommersant reported Thursday.

The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media checked more than 18,000 public hotspots across the country and found out that 5,500 of them did not require identification from users. The service opened administrative cases on the matter.

The authority said that some 2,500 Wi-Fi networks, which did not identify users, were organized by individuals. The service handed over the information to the Federal Security Service, because “it deals with antiterrorist activities,” a spokesperson for the communications service said.

At present, Internet user identification is done by the media access control (MAC)-address of a Wi-Fi router, which is untied from a certain subscriber device.

Denis Paltsyn, head of the control department at the communications service, offered to use special software linking the MAC-address to a computer, a smartphone or a tablet. Only devices equipped with such software should have access to Wi-Fi networks, he said.

Subscribers should download the program and install it on devices and then pass the identification procedure. Software checks the data entered and indicated when buying a SIM card, and then ties the MAC-address to the identification information of the user.

The communications service said that the use of such special software is still an idea, which was discussed earlier in September at a forum.

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