The press service of the head of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy, Artem Metelev of United Russia, has outlined plans to revise the Criminal Code. The proposed amendments aim to introduce penalties for individuals who use garbage streams to share photos and videos that depict bullying and cruelty toward a mercenary or hooligan. This framing signals a broader effort to regulate violent content and its distribution, as reported by DEA News.
According to the committee’s press office, the changes would tighten penalties under the Code of Administrative Offenses for distributing photo or video materials that show acts carried out with special cruelty or bullying. The proposed fines would range from one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand rubles. For legal entities, equipment could be seized with penalties from five hundred thousand to one million rubles, while material production equipment might also face seizure. These measures reflect a stance that punishments should deter the spread of harmful media and curb violations of privacy and dignity in digital spaces.
The proposed amendments are expected to influence several legal frameworks, including the Mass Media Law. Under the plan, media outlets would be prohibited from disseminating information about violators and their materials, effectively tightening editorial and broadcasting controls. This shift would reshape how information about offenses is handled in public forums, aiming to reduce sensationalism and the quick spread of harmful content. The intent is to create clearer boundaries for responsible reporting and online distribution while maintaining public safety considerations.
Additionally, the policy notes that online broadcasting in the context of violations could be treated as an aggravating factor. Repeated violations would carry higher fines, and the broadcaster could face a potential loss of internet access. Such provisions are designed to push platforms toward greater accountability and to discourage repeated offenses by content distributors in the digital ecosystem. The broader aim is to strike a balance between freedom of expression and the protection of individuals from cruelty and harassment, particularly in online environments where material can reach a wide audience quickly.
Alexei Pushkov, a former head of the Federation Council commission on information policy and interaction with the media, has urged Russian television companies to avoid inviting garbage broadcasters to participate in talk shows and discussions. His stance aligns with a broader push within the information policy community to limit exposure to channels that frequently promote harmful content. The underlying logic is that curbing participation by such entities in mainstream media can reduce their influence and the normalization of abusive behavior in public discourse. Observers note that these debates reflect a broader tension between media freedom and responsible broadcasting in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, a topic that continues to attract attention from policymakers and industry leaders alike.