Lawmakers in Russia’s lower-house State Duma on Tuesday passed a bill banning advertising through organizations designated as “undesirable” or “extremist,” a move likely to steer businesses away from promoting their services on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Russia added U.S. tech giant Meta to its list of “terrorist and extremist” organizations in October 2022 after accusing the company of tolerating “Russophobia.” Months earlier, authorities blocked Facebook and Instagram, which can now be accessed in Russia only using a VPN.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that the bill, if passed into law, would target companies that “openly pursue an unfriendly policy toward our country and deliberately spread false information and values alien to us.”
“Citizens and businesses continue to advertise on these platforms — sometimes without realizing they’re funding those who actively harm our country,” he said.
The bill now heads to the upper-house Federation Council before requiring President Vladimir Putin’s signature. If enacted, the ban will take effect on Sept. 1.
Violators would face fines of up to 2,500 rubles ($30) for individuals, 20,000 rubles ($236) for officials and 500,000 rubles ($5,900) for businesses.
A similar ban on advertising with “foreign agents” was signed into law last year, making it next to impossible for independent media outlets hit with the designation to earn money.
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