Armenian authorities clarified purpose of introducing IMEI  registration system amid public outcry

ArmInfo.  The Armenian government has issued a clarification regarding the introduction of an IMEI registration system for mobile phones in the country amid widespread  public outcry.

In a statement on social media, the Armenian government emphasized  that the initiative does not involve the collection or storage of  citizens' personal data. The Cabinet of Ministers assured that the  primary goal of introducing the system is to ensure the legal  circulation of mobile phones.

It is stated that the new system will reduce the volume of illegal  imports of mobile devices, create a level playing field for official  importers, protect consumers from phones with counterfeit or altered  IMEI codes, and create a unified mobile device registry.

The Armenian Cabinet emphasized that the registry will not contain  users' personal information. The database is planned to store only  the 15-digit IMEI code of a device, without linking it to the owner  or any other personal information.

The government added that it issued this clarification in response to  numerous questions and concerns raised during public discussions of  the project.

As a reminder, the Armenian government previously approved a bill to  create a state system for registering and monitoring IMEI codes.  According to the document, mobile devices imported into the country  by individuals will be required to be registered starting January 1,  2027. Failure to register will result in telecom operators refusing  to connect them to the network. The introduction of the system will  require a state registration fee. For devices manufactured in the  current or previous year, the fee will be 3,000 drams, while  registration of older phones will be free. At the same time,  increased duties are being introduced on the import of several new  devices by one person within a year: 100,000 drams for the second and  subsequent phones produced in 2026, imported by one person within a  year, and 20,000 drams for the second and subsequent phones produced  in 2025.