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Russia To Require Registration For Wi-Fi Use

Posted by timothy on from the Rossvyazokhrankultura-is-the-short-version dept.

Oleg.salenko points out a ComputerWorld story with some bad news for Russia's wireless users, which starts out "Business travelers to Russia might want to keep their laptops and iPhones well-concealed — not from muggers, necessarily, but from the country's recently formed regulatory super-agency, Rossvyazokhrankultura (short for the Russian Mass Media, Communications and Cultural Protection Service)... Rossvyazokhrankultura's interpretation of current law holds that users must register any electronics that use the frequency involved in Wi-Fi communications, said Vladimir Karpov, the deputy director of the agency's communications monitoring division, according to an English commentary provided by website The Other Russia." It gets worse: "Aside from public hotspots, the registration requirement also applies to home networks, laptops, smart phones and Wi-Fi-enabled PDAs, Karpov reportedly said. Registration only permits use by the owner. Registration for personal devices is said to take 10 days, but registering a hotspot — including a home network — is more complicated, involving a set of documents and technological certifications akin to putting in a cell tower."

18 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. And... by CSMatt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cue the Soviet Russia jokes in 3,2,1...

    1. Re:And... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      In Soviet Russia, joke cues you in 1, 2, 3...

  2. I got one! by PhearoX · · Score: 5, Funny

    In Soviet Russia, WiFi registers you!

    1. Re:I got one! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Just out of curiosity, where did the Soviet Russia jokes come from? You must be new here.
  3. Re:Yes, but... by brunokummel · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes, but while I'm in Russia can I have sex with an underage prostitute?

    That depends if she works for the government, if so, the Soviet Russia will have sex with you .

    --
    What is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women.
  4. Re:Hahahahahahaha! by alegrepublic · · Score: 2, Funny

    ROFLMAO, you beat me to it. I was just wondering what service would be like. Just what can you steal? There are probably not too many Brits laughing. They have to register their bloody televisions. Mind you, they get a nice return on that, or used to. Not sure how good BBC programming is these days but I'm willing to wager that it has any of the major American networks beat hands down.
    Ha, Ha! That's wishful thinking. The American no-need-to-register PBS is pretty good, especially all those british progra... well, never mind.
  5. They're afraid by zymano · · Score: 4, Funny

    Afraid that someone in Russia might use the internet for legitimate reasons instead of for crime.

  6. I'm so sorry for this by Freaky+Spook · · Score: 5, Funny

    In Soviet Russia wifi-register.su

  7. There's a problem when ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    There's a problem when a word like Rossvyazokhrankultura is considered *short* for something. What happened to NAMBLA?

    1. Re:There's a problem when ... by Petersson · · Score: 3, Funny

      There's a problem when a word like Rossvyazokhrankultura is considered *short* for something

      It is common Russian way to create shorts. It's easier to say it when you're drunk (also common in Russia) then to spell something in Russian alphabet. Just like 'Gosgortechnadzor' or 'Khosrasschiot'.

      --
      I'm not insane. My mother had me tested.
  8. Re:How long before.. by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Funny

    How long before some idiot tells us this is no different from what we have in the US? This is no different from what we have in the U.S.

    /It took one hour
    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  9. Re:Wait, what? by calebt3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    My flashlight doesn't have it. Yet. Gimme a few hours.

  10. Re:Hahahahahahaha! by zmollusc · · Score: 2, Funny

    Whenever you buy a tv, (or a vcr or tv receiver doohickey for your pc etc) the person at the till asks you for name and address for their paperwork. I believe Mr Upyours of 11 Fictitious Mews, Madeupville makes all his purchases with cash, I get all my stuff via him.

    --
    They whose government reduces their essential liberties for temporary security, receive neither liberty nor security.
  11. Re:beaurocracy by upside · · Score: 3, Funny

    beaurocracy - rule by the beautiful?

    Bureaucracy

    --
    I'm sorry if I haven't offended anyone
  12. Re:Yes, but... by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 2, Funny

    How about this one?

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  13. Re:Wait, what? by calebt3 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Have it check RSS feeds and blink them at me in Morse Code.

  14. Re:muggers by MobyDisk · · Score: 2, Funny

    No need. The muggers would need to register the device 10 days before they can steal it. So just keep your business trips limited to 9 days.

  15. There goes my password... by BountyX · · Score: 2, Funny

    Damn I thought Rossvyazokhrankultura was a good random string of characters....there goes my password.

    --
    Trying to install linux on my microwave, but keep getting a kernel panic...