Belarusians Have Succeeded In Having “Beltelecom’s” Paid Services Scheme Declared Illegal
1- 6.09.2026, 10:37
- 1,368
But there are also questions regarding the MART decision.
MART acknowledged that “Beltelecom” had violated the law by by activating paid services without the subscribers’ explicit consent. In response to a petition from Belarusians, the agency stated that the violation had already been rectified, but did not say whether subscribers could expect a refund of the debited funds, according to "Zerkalo".
Belarusians launched a petition on the “Udobny Gorod” website complaining about the practice whereby “Beltelecom” subscribers were sent notifications about the activation of additional paid services, and failure to opt out was effectively considered consent.
“The fee amount is set in such a way that it is practically indistinguishable from the monthly telecommunications bill, as a result of which payment for a service the subscriber is unaware of may continue indefinitely,” — the authors of the petition noted.
They asked MART to ensure “an end to the practice of connecting RUE ‘Beltelecom’ subscribers to paid services based on silence” and the refund of funds previously charged for such services.
In its response, the agency acknowledged that this scheme violates the Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights” and the Rules for the Provision of Telecommunications Services No. 1055.
According to MART, two branches of “Beltelecom” sent out such notifications in June–August 2026. Afterward, subscribers were contacted by phone, and for those who did not agree to the service, it was disconnected.
The ministry deemed the violation resolved:
“Since the texts of the notices contained partially incorrect information, RUE “Beltelecom” took steps to rectify the violations, implemented appropriate disciplinary measures against the responsible employees, conducted additional training for staff, and provided clarification on the relevant legal provisions,” the ministry’s response states.
However, the response makes no mention of refunds for money that may have been charged for services already activated. Nor is there any mention of a comprehensive review of individual accounts or subscriptions activated before June 2026.
“The main goal has been achieved: MART explicitly called the tacit activation of paid services a violation of the law,” commented a lawyer for the “Udobny Gorod” portal.
At the same time, questions remain regarding the new procedure used by the operator: now, the operator seeks to obtain the subscriber’s consent during a phone call, with the conversation being recorded. However, according to the lawyer, this method is not included in the exhaustive list of consent options provided for in paragraph 9 of Rules No. 1055.
As a reminder, in early August Belarusians complained about mailings from “Beltelecom” offering to activate additional services: if the customer did not explicitly opt out, the subscription could be activated automatically. For example, one social media user reported that her retired relative received a registered letter offering the “Premier” service, and that to opt out, she had to contact the company herself.
Beltelecom stated at the time that these were free promotional periods designed to let customers try out new services, and that the decision on whether to continue using the service for a fee “always rests with the subscriber.” The company maintained that after the free period ends, the operator always contacts the customer to confirm whether they wish to continue using the service.
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