The Armenian government has approved a bill to launch a unified system for registering IMEI codes of mobile phones. The idea is that only devices officially imported and registered will be able to operate on national mobile networks.

IMEI is a unique identifier for each phone, by which the operator recognizes the device on the network. The planned system will combine customs databases, telecom operators, and international registries to automatically identify devices with fake or unregistered codes.

For buyers purchasing smartphones from official retailers, effectively nothing will change. The main impact will be on "grey" imports: devices without confirmed import risk being disconnected from mobile networks or failing to activate at all.

The authorities explain the reform as a fight against the shadow turnover of equipment, budget losses, and the growth of counterfeits. According to their calculations, unified control should make the market more transparent and reduce illegal supplies.

It is emphasized that the IMEI system does not provide access to the content of the smartphone and is not intended for tracking users. It only regulates the device's access to the network, while operators already record phone connections. The new model makes this process centralized and stricter, leaving questions of future regulation beyond the scope of the current initiative.