Fan ID” title=”Northern Military District veterans are asked to be allowed to attend football without a Fan ID”/>
For SVO veterans, they want to cancel Fan ID – a “fan passport”, without which it is impossible to buy a ticket to football matches. Deputies of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly plan to discuss the corresponding initiative, Parlamentskaya Gazeta learned on Tuesday, October 29. Conceptually, it was also supported by State Duma deputies: however, in particular, according to Vitaly Milonov, first we need to take into account many nuances and, above all, security issues. Details are in our material.
What is the essence of the question?
Fan ID (aka “fan passport”) was introduced in Russia back in 2014. It was first used at the Winter Olympics in Sochi to ensure safety. However, the system became truly widespread only after 2018, when President Vladimir Putin positively assessed the experience of using “passports” at the World Cup and stated that it could be scaled up. Soon after this, the Ministry of Sports developed a draft concept for the use of Fan ID at matches of the Russian Premier League and the Russian Cup, and in 2021 a law was adopted to introduce the new system on a permanent basis.
The “fan passport” itself is an electronic document, without which it is impossible for a fan to buy a ticket for a match or enter the stadium. It is issued through Gosuslugi or MFC on the basis of a questionnaire, a copy of the passport and a photo. The registration of a Fan ID may be refused: as stated in the law, the basis for this is, for example, the presence of data that a fan or tournament participant has previously violated public order at a sporting event, including outside the Russian Federation, or information “about the intention to commit relevant illegal acts.”
The innovation caused a mixed reaction among fans. So, the famous football commentator Gennady Orlov in an interview with Sovetsky Sport, he stated that the “passport” is needed primarily by law enforcement agencies in order to absolve themselves of responsibility for possible unrest and clashes between fans. And State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov sent an appeal to the Chairman of the Russian Government in 2023 Mihail Mishustin with a request to “consider the possibility of canceling the Fan ID system at least until acute contradictions and gaps are eliminated.” And even the deputy chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedevas Interfax wrote, emphasized that the rules for fan access to stadiums need to be “at least adjusted.”
“We don’t have conflicts that would require a fan ID to prevent.”
As a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg noted in a conversation with the Parliamentary Newspaper Alexey Tsivilevthe Fan ID system really needs to be reformed. And the first step in this direction could be the abolition of “fan passports” for Northern Military District veterans.
“We haven’t had and don’t have conflicts at our stadiums that would require total control over fans to prevent,” Tsivilev noted. “Everyone who wants to go to the match must undergo a security check; every sector in the arena itself is checked and guarded by security services. This is more than enough. Therefore, Fan ID is basically irrelevant for us. As for the Northern Military District veterans, they are, firstly, guests of honor at any event. And secondly, any excessive digitalization in relation to them, in my opinion, is completely inappropriate.”
According to Alexey Tsivilev, he plans to raise the issue of canceling Fan ID for Northern Military District veterans at a meeting with the chairman of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Alexander Belskyand also discuss with colleagues.
“If we come to a consensus here, then, I think, it will be possible to work on a corresponding initiative at the legislative level,” concluded the publication’s interlocutor.
“It’s not a question of privilege, but of security”
A deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, co-chairman of the coordination council of the Public Chamber of Russia for the integration of new regions, a journalist, public figure and member of the SVO also spoke in favor of the abolition of fan passports for veterans of a special military operation Alexander Malkevich.
“Here we are talking not so much about recognizing their merits, although this is also important and necessary, but about ensuring security,” Malkevich emphasized. — If you remember, we not long ago developed amendments to the election law so that veterans who run for parliament would not have to disclose any sensitive information about themselves and their families. And in the case of Fan ID everything is the same. Imagine: here we have a fighter returning from the Northern Military District. He worked as part of the Espanyol battalion, which organized the St. Petersburg fan club Landskrona; he is a football fan. And in order to go to the match, he needs to apply for a “fan passport” – that is, indicate his full name, address, age and everything else that is required. Can we guarantee that his personal data will not end up leaked and he will not be in danger? To prevent such risks from arising, in my opinion, the position should be very clear: the less a fighter needs to transfer his personal data anywhere, the better.”
Alexander Malkevich also noted that he could raise this issue with the involvement of colleagues in the Legislative Assembly and the expert community and bring it up for wide discussion.
Nuances and problems
In turn, State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov called the initiative “conceptually good,” but at the same time noted that before bringing it up for discussion, it is necessary to collect the most complete expert opinion possible and take into account a number of nuances.
“The Fan ID law is complex and not very convenient, and we have repeatedly discussed the possibility of making adjustments to it,” the parliamentarian explained. — On the other hand, now more than ever, the issue of ensuring the safety of mass events is urgent. “Fan ID” is a barrier that protects us from scoundrels. Therefore, in my opinion, now is not the time to simply remove this barrier and cancel Fan ID in whole or in part. In any case, this issue requires serious expert study.”
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