Roskomnadzor Tightens Rules on Underage Access to LGBT Content by Online Cinemas and Info Platforms

No time to read?
Get a summary

Roskomnadzor’s press service reported that the agency has issued nineteen administrative protocols against various Russian online cinema platforms. These actions target a failure to prevent underage users from accessing material that depicts LGBT performances and that is mislabelled in ways that may mislead viewers about its content. The information was conveyed through a report cited by TASS, the Russian news agency. In a broader sense, the move reflects ongoing regulatory attention to how digital entertainment services in Russia handle age verification and content labeling for materials that touch on non-traditional sexual relations. The protocols are described as being issued in line with Part 2 of Article 6.21.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, which governs audio-visual services. The list of implicated services includes Start, Wink, Ivi, Kinopoisk, Megafon TV, Tricolor Kino and TV Online, More.tv, Okko, Peers.TV and Premier. The communications emphasize that these platforms do not promote non-traditional sexual relations, but the concern centers on ensuring that content is appropriately restricted and clearly marked to prevent exposure to minors.

The statement from Roskomnadzor follows up on ongoing scrutiny of how digital content is categorized and accessed within the country. It highlights a tension that exists in the regulation of online entertainment: balancing the duty to protect younger audiences with the practicalities of content labeling across diverse streaming services. The agency notes that the failure to implement effective restrictions on underage access and the misalignment between content markings and the nature of the material have prompted the administrative measures. This is framed as part of a broader mandate to uphold compliance across audio-visual services operating under Russian law and to reinforce standards that help guardians decide what is suitable for children and adolescents. The focus remains on ensuring that the information products offered by these platforms are presented in a way that is transparent and consistent with the content they host, particularly when sensitive topics are involved.

In addition to the action on online cinema platforms, Roskomnadzor’s public statements have repeatedly pointed to the wider obligation of information services to adhere to labeling requirements and restrictions designed to safeguard minors. The emphasis on age-appropriate accessibility is presented as a central tenet of the regulatory framework governing audiovisual content. By applying administrative protocols, Roskomnadzor seeks to reinforce the expectation that platforms will implement robust age verification measures, clear and accurate content warnings, and reliable indicators of material’s suitability. This approach is part of an ongoing effort to standardize how non-traditional sexual themes are represented in streaming content while ensuring that such representations do not reach audiences for whom the material would be inappropriate or unlawful by state standards.

Separately, there has been attention drawn to the status of an electronic encyclopedia that operates under a separate organizational umbrella. It has been reported that Wikipedia, the online reference work managed by the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., has not yet removed a certain number of items deemed illegal under local guidelines. This mention illustrates the broader regulatory landscape in which digital information and entertainment platforms operate, including the governance of user-generated and user-curated content across multinational and multilingual environments. The specifics of the 147 items referenced according to Roskomnadzor’s declaration underline how regulators monitor and respond to content across varied platforms, including those that host or reference user-generated information. The overall message from regulators emphasizes a commitment to upholding legal standards and to taking appropriate actions when content is considered out of compliance with established rules.

No time to read?
Get a summary
Previous Article

Andrey Kanchelskis weighs in as Artem Dzyuba shines for Lokomotiv Moscow

Next Article

EU Leaders Push Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Talks Toward Brussels