Russian Expert Discusses End of Internet Anonymity With Passport-Based Access

A Russian digital services expert has predicted a future where passport-based identification for Internet access becomes the norm, citing a broader trend towards the de-anonymization of online spaces. His comments follow a move by Telegram to disclose user data during rule violation investigations, reflecting a significant shift in how anonymity is handled on the web. The expert also highlighted the increasing centralization of online platforms, which may reinforce these identification measures.

‘Era of Strict Passport-Based Access to the Internet Is Getting Closer and Closer’

Russian digital services expert Anton Sergeyev, director of the Center for Software Development and Digital Services at the HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM HSE), predicted on Tuesday that passport-based identification for Internet access is becoming more likely. His comments followed Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov’s announcement that the messaging app would begin disclosing users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities when investigating rule violations. This step, according to Sergeyev, reflects the broader de-anonymization of the Internet.

Sergeyev noted that the move towards transparency is consistent with current trends. He emphasized that “anonymization of the Internet in all its manifestations” is disappearing, Tass reported, quoting him as saying:

Overall, the era of strict passport-based access to the Internet is getting closer and closer.

The expert also pointed out that online communication was once opaque and unregulated, particularly during the ’90s and early 2000s. “Once we had an era when everything was completely anonymized—communication was opaque, everyone behaved as they wanted and never got punished. All the nineties and 2000s used to be like that. And now everything is swinging in the opposite direction,” Sergeyev added.

Additionally, Sergeyev discussed the growing consolidation of online platforms, leading to fewer communication tools. He said that “roughly speaking, we all tend to use the same messengers” and warned that “unless you use them, you fall out of the communication process.” The centralization of communication tools could further push the trend toward requiring identification for online access, according to the expert, as fewer platforms dominate and users face increased pressure to comply with stricter rules.

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