Russia is tightening its grip on digital platforms, with a significant new policy set to ban advertising on any online resource deemed to have restricted access. This move, spearheaded by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), signals a new era of stringent oversight, particularly impacting major international services and messaging apps operating within the country.
New Advertising Restrictions Unveiled
The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) is poised to implement a sweeping ban on all advertising activity on digital platforms where access has been restricted by the state. This prohibition is designed to automatically take effect whenever Roskomnadzor (RKN) imposes limitations, targeting a broad spectrum of services including YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, and even VPN providers. Resources from Meta, already designated as extremist in Russia, are explicitly included. The FAS clarified that both advertisers and ad distributors will be held accountable, meaning even integrated content from bloggers or the use of internal ad cabinets could lead to administrative prosecution.
Escalating Scrutiny on Telegram
This new advertising regulation further intensifies the mounting pressure on Telegram, which has faced increased scrutiny since early February. Roskomnadzor recently extended existing restrictions on the messaging service, asserting it will impose continuous sanctions until Telegram guarantees complete data protection for Russian users and relocates its servers within the country. The regulator also demands prompt removal of content deemed extremist, claiming Telegram has yet to delete approximately 155,000 channels, chats, and bots marked as "illegal." Adding to the challenges, a criminal case was initiated against Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in late February for allegedly "abetting terrorism" by refusing content moderation demands. Durov himself suggested in mid-February that this persistent pressure aims to coerce users into transitioning to a new state-backed messaging application.
