Alexander Khinshtein, who chairs the State Duma Information Policy Committee, explained that a legislative plan has been drafted in collaboration with the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media, commonly known as Roskomnadzor. The proposal aims to obligate internet platforms to audit the material they host and take down content that violates legal norms. The information was circulated through a telegraph channel dedicated to policy matters.
The deputy indicated that platforms would be required to remove materials when they breach the law, outlining a system where governance and compliance are interwoven with everyday moderation practices. This approach would place clear obligations on platforms to review posted content and act swiftly to address illegal materials, aligning platform responsibilities with national legal standards.
Khinshtein stressed that the draft legislation would mandate proactive content moderation. He noted that the joint effort with Roskomnadzor is aimed at creating rules that compel platforms to monitor the information they present and to excise anything that contravenes the law. The goal, he said, is to ensure that online spaces reflect legal boundaries and public information norms as set by authorities.
The law’s enforcement framework would include penalties for non-compliance. The deputy suggested that substantial fines would be in place to compel adherence, signaling a serious shift in how platforms manage user-generated content under the new regime.
Historically, Russia has already applied similar regulatory measures to social networks, with authorities pointing to instances where platforms were expected to enforce content rules. The current proposal is presented as a continuation and expansion of those prior practices, intended to standardize moderation across major online services and reinforce accountability for published materials.
In a related case, a Moscow court previously issued a fine of 2 million rubles against Wikimedia for failing to delete certain data from Wikipedia. This decision is cited to illustrate how Russia has translated content regulation into concrete penalties, thereby underscoring the potential financial consequences for platforms that do not comply with mandated removal or moderation requirements.