Belarus to require identification for internet usage
Belarus is introducing a law requiring the users of online resources to identify themselves. According to Interfax, this rule has been added to the new version of the law “On the mass media” which came into force on December 1.
During the first stage of the procedure, citizens will register and sign a user agreement including their telephone number, which is in turn linked to certain passport details.
The agreement must contain a warning that users are not allowed to post messages online containing information the dissemination of which is prohibited by Belarusian legislation.
Users’ accounts will be activated when the owner of the web resource sends them an SMS with an activation code. Each cellphone number can only be used to register one account on each online resource.
The owners of online resources will be required to store comments made by the user for a period of one year after termination of the user agreement. Comments must be stored on servers physically located in Belarus.
The owners of such online resources will be obligated to provide this information to various government organs upon request, including the prosecutor’s office, the preliminary investigation office, the State Control Committee, the Ministry of Information, the Tax Office, and the various courts.