Russia to Block Websites with Tobacco and Vape Ads Without Court Approval
The Russian State Duma has approved a bill in its first reading that would allow the blocking of websites featuring cigarette and vape advertisements without the need for court proceedings.
The proposed legislation, developed by a group of deputies, aims to close a loophole in the existing law that prohibits the retail sale of these products on the internet. Despite the ban, online trade continues to thrive, prompting lawmakers to take action.
Under the new bill, owners of internet resources and social media pages visited by more than 500,000 Russian users daily will be obligated to monitor their platforms and identify information related to the retail sale of cigarettes. Websites found to be in violation of these provisions will be included by Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal executive agency responsible for overseeing communications, in the Unified Registry of websites containing prohibited information.
The authors of the bill emphasize the urgency of the issue, noting that the problem of online sales of cigarettes and nicotine-containing products has reached alarming proportions. The current procedure for blocking websites through the court system is time-consuming, often taking at least three months. By allowing out-of-court blocking, the proposed amendments aim to swiftly remove offers for the sale of tobacco products and vapes from the online space.
During the plenary session, Aidar Metshin, co-author of the bill and member of the State Duma Committee on Competition Protection, stressed that websites, social networks, and messaging apps have become major channels for distributing illegal products, including tobacco and nicotine-containing items. While the Russian government generally supports the draft law, technical refinements are expected before the second reading.
Sergey Boyarsky, head of the Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications, views this bill as a logical step in the ongoing battle against the illegal online distribution of nicotine-containing products.
The proposed legislation is similar to the existing norms governing the advertising and sale of alcoholic products in Russia. By streamlining the process of blocking violating websites, lawmakers hope to effectively combat the illicit online trade of tobacco and vape products, ultimately protecting public health and enforcing existing regulations.
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