MOSCOW -- Russia has officially introduced SIM cards for children, allowing parents to track their kids' real-time locations, Maksut Shadayev, minister of digital development, communications, and mass media, said Wednesday.

"The SIM cards for children will be issued only with the permission of parents," Shadayev said, adding that parents will be able to receive geolocation data of their children without official request or court approval.

He added that elderly citizens will also be able to appoint a trusted person to access their location information via the website.

Shadayev earlier clarified that users of such SIM cards will be restricted from accessing certain online services, including social media platforms.

The service, initially proposed in August, is aimed at improving child safety and limiting access to inappropriate online content for users under 14, he said.