New Registration and Labeling Rules for Influencers with Over 10,000 Followers
The Russian Ministry of Digital Development and Roskomnadzor have published four draft documents outlining the registration and regulatory procedures for owners of social media channels and pages with more than 10,000 followers. These drafts are currently open for public discussion until October 31, 2024.
Background and Legislative Process
The first version of the Roskomnadzor order was released in early September but was quickly withdrawn as it was considered “premature.” According to Anton Gorelkin, one of the initiators of the new “blogger registry” law, the registration process for channel owners in messengers and social networks with audiences over 10,000 is designed to be as simple and user-friendly as possible. He notes that the required data set is minimal and the previous requirement to provide an IP address has been removed.
Gorelkin expressed confidence that all responsible channel owners will promptly submit the necessary information to Roskomnadzor once the relevant regulations and tools are in place. He also believes that extreme measures, such as banning advertising for non-compliance, will not be necessary.
Expert Commentary and Document Overview
Philipp Kulin, founder of “Escher II,” reviewed and analyzed all the draft documents, offering his characteristically ironic commentary. He pointed out that the law gives both Roskomnadzor and the government the same authority to maintain the list of influencers, which may explain the delays and false starts in developing the regulations.
Key Provisions of the Draft Regulations
- Registration Requirements: Once a channel or page reaches 10,000 followers, the owner must submit identification information to Roskomnadzor within 10 business days. Required data includes full name (for Russian citizens), phone number, email address, and information about page administrators. Organizations must provide their name, registration number, and contact details. Submissions are made via the government services portal or the Roskomnadzor website.
- Verification and Labeling: After successful verification, the channel or page will be added to a special registry. The social network must then display a verification badge and a unique link for authenticity checks on the account’s page.
- Social Network Obligations: Social networks are required to provide information about influencers with over 10,000 followers to Roskomnadzor upon request within three business days. This includes the user’s phone number, email, and administrator details, if applicable. Requests are sent via Roskomnadzor’s portal or by email.
- Public Registry Information: Rules are established for displaying information about inclusion in the registry on the influencer’s personal page.
- Registry Maintenance: Roskomnadzor will maintain the registry, which will include channels on platforms such as Likee, TikTok, YouTube, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Telegram, LiveJournal, Pikabu, Pinterest, Rutube, Zen, Twitch, Discord, and Yappy.
Additional Details and Implications
Authorities claim these measures are aimed at improving user protection against online fraud and increasing advertising transparency on social networks. Information about registered influencers will be stored in encrypted form.
A new “A+” label for influencers has also been introduced. Only pages with this label will be allowed to post advertisements and receive donations. Channels not included in the registry will be prohibited from advertising, collecting donations, and having their posts reposted in other communities.
Roskomnadzor has also released preliminary data on the number of social media users with audiences over 10,000. VKontakte leads with over 415,000 pages, followed by Odnoklassniki with more than 100,000.
It is also worth noting that in August 2024, the Russian president signed a law requiring owners of public pages and channels with more than 10,000 users to provide information upon request from Roskomnadzor or the FSB.