The Association for the Advancement of Business Patriotism, known as AVANTI, has launched an initiative aimed at penalizing Russian bloggers who promote goods and services from countries deemed hostile. The plan contemplates fines as high as three million rubles for each violation and calls for a review of the broader media rules by top government figures. The association sent its concerns to the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin, and to the leading spokespeople of the Federation Council and the State Duma, Valentina Matvienko and Vyacheslav Volodin, with the support of the Safe Internet League headed by Ekaterina Mizulina. The communication was transmitted through the appropriate channels of the government apparatus, seeking formal consideration of the proposal. [DEA News]
The core request in the letter is for officials to assess the advisability of restricting bloggers from advertising goods and services sourced from unfriendly nations across social networks, video platforms, and messaging apps. Beyond financial penalties, AVANTI also proposes placing bloggers on a registry of foreign agents for ongoing violations of the ban, arguing that such a list would reinforce compliance and national economic goals. [DEA News]
AVANTI underscored a strategic objective that resonates with the broader national agenda: maintaining economic sovereignty in the current geopolitical climate. The association argues that genuine independence hinges on the homegrown competitiveness of domestic production and the ability to shield domestic markets from external interference. In practical terms, the proposal suggests a multi-layered approach that combines revenue penalties, reputational controls, and the leverage of state registries to deter promotional activities that could undermine national economic policy. [DEA News]
Recent developments in the media landscape illustrated a heightened sensitivity to the behavior of online creators. By the end of June, public attention turned toward the case of blogger Ilya Varlamov, who is regarded by some as a foreign agent in Russia. He faced a fine estimated between thirty thousand and fifty thousand rubles for alleged violations related to the operation of a foreign agent. The case was cited in discussions about how far state regulation might go to compel bloggers to disclose affiliations and comply with national rules governing online activity. [DEA News]
Earlier, Artem Tkachev, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology, and Communications, indicated that Russia could expand penalties to cover streams funded by foreign entities. The possibility includes broadcasts in which bloggers parody individuals or animals in real-time, a phenomenon some observers describe as dogged by issues of taste and legality. The proposed framework would potentially widen the scope of enforcement beyond traditional advertising to include ongoing live content that attracts a broad audience. [DEA News]
In another strand of discussion, there were voices within the State Duma advocating a broader tightening of controls over foreign influence and financial support for content creators. Proposals floated at various sessions of the legislative body considered prohibitions on lending or otherwise enabling activities by foreign agents, reflecting a broader concern about how foreign interests might shape domestic discourse and consumer choices. The exchanges signal an evolving policy environment in which the government seeks to align digital communication practices with national economic and security priorities. [DEA News]