Russians will no longer be able to buy a phone in foreign stores

Back in the spring of this year, information appeared that the Russian authorities want to ban the use"gray" phones. Today it became known that telecom operators have begun large-scale preparations for a new initiative. What awaits us and who needs it — let's figure it out.

Identification of smartphones by IMEI in Russia

What will actually happen:authorities will create a database that will include unique numbers of subscriber devices — IMEI. It will include only those gadgets that were imported into the country legally, that is, through “white” suppliers and retailers.

This means that buy a phone on AliExpress andAny other Internet portal will no longer work. Such gadgets simply will not work — the system will automatically disconnect them from the cellular network of any operator, so that the device, in fact, will turn into a beautiful brick.

Pilot testing has already beguna project in which Beeline, Megafon and Tele2 take part. At the same time, the bill, which would allow the authorities to block phones, is not even ready yet. The State Duma is now working on this, but for now the system is already in full testing.

Who benefits from the ban on gray smartphones in Russia?

It is obvious that the new initiative claims totitle of “the main absurdity of the year.” The official position of the authorities is as follows: by blocking “gray” IMEI, it will also be possible to block stolen smartphones. What's the use of this — unclear. Will the thief get sad and return the gadget to its owner?

In fact, everything once again comes down tomoney. The state is unhappy that taxes are not paid on gadgets from abroad, and the new law will change this. It’s just not clear why people or foreign retailers should pay the state, which has nothing to do with the matter. Everything that stands in the way between the seller and the buyer — delivery service, which will pay the government tax. Claim for more — absurd.

Russian retailers win even more,which are gradually dying out due to falling demand. Huge shops, stupid promotions and constant fraud scare away customers, and they go to buy smartphones in foreign online stores. Accordingly, the profit of our retailers falls below the plinth. The new initiative will fix this, because the Russians will have no choice but to buy a smartphone at home.

To summarize, we can say the following:new initiative — This is a crude attempt to make money and “pull” domestic retailers out of the bottom. The rights of Russians are, as usual, not taken into account here. However, given previous initiatives, it is very likely that everything will go according to the classic scenario — the system will work crookedly, and even a schoolchild with instructions from the Internet will be able to bypass it.

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