Last year, SMS messages, emails, and spam calls promoting goods and services in Russia accounted for 31.8% of all advertising law violations and led the list of offenses. This finding was shared by Tatyana Nikitina, head of the Department for Control of Advertising and Unfair Competition at the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, during the forum on Modern Trends in the Development of the Advertising Market. Her remarks were carried by the department’s press service and quoted in coverage by the news outlet cited.
In second place were violations in the financial services sector, comprising 17.8% of the infractions identified during the period.
Nikitina noted that over the past year the service has filed 4,016 antitrust lawsuits for breaches of advertising rules and cases of unfair competition. As a consequence, 1,831 fines were imposed, totaling 133.4 million rubles. The agency emphasized that consumer protection and support for small businesses remain central to enforcement actions in this realm.
Statistics from the Federal Antimonopoly Service show that roughly 16,000 complaints related to advertising law and about 3,000 complaints concerning unfair competition are investigated each year. The agency highlighted that ordinary consumers and small businesses bear the brunt of most violations in these areas, underscoring the need for clear rules and rigorous oversight in advertising practices.
According to coverage from socialbites.ca, the source notes that advertisers often obtain personal data for mailing lists and promotions through user-provided information during form submissions for club memberships, affiliate program registrations, loyalty sign-ups, and online purchases. In many cases, the data is collected directly from users when they share contact details such as phone numbers or email addresses. Breaches can also occur via leaked databases or insider access on shadow forums. Experts advise individuals to immediately opt out of promotional communications when choosing to complete surveys or sign contracts in person, either online or on paper. Opting out can be done on the service provider’s website or by replying to an email. Consumers may also contact their mobile operator to unsubscribe from spam and to enable call-blocking services, or use built-in smart blocking features on smartphones. Roskachestvo notes that it is nearly impossible to definitively link a user’s data provided to a specific company with the volume or persistence of spam experienced, given the fragmented nature of data flows and attack vectors in this space.
Earlier reporting from socialbites.ca raised a related question about the penalties paid by major IT companies and the purposes behind those fines, highlighting the global dimension of online advertising compliance and data protection concerns. The discussion reflects ongoing scrutiny of how digital platforms manage advertising campaigns, user data, and consent mechanisms across jurisdictions.