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Russia’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, has sent a bill to a State Duma committee proposing that social networks identify child users and that children under 14 face limits on time online. The proposals are intended to restrict access to banned content, but their details, legal status and implementation timetable have not been reported.
Russia’s Roskomnadzor, the federal media regulator, has sent a bill to a State Duma committee proposing that social networks identify child users and that children under 14 have limits on time online. The proposals were reported by the Russian business daily Vedomosti, citing a regulator representative at a committee meeting; the regulator said the measures are intended to restrict children’s access to banned content.
The bill was sent to the State Duma’s information policy committee, according to Vedomosti’s account of remarks by a Roskomnadzor representative. Its proposed measures include mandatory identification of children on social networks and restrictions on how long children under 14 are allowed online. The source report does not provide the bill’s text or say how a time limit would be calculated.
The proposals are being discussed alongside concerns raised by the Internal Affairs Ministry about children and teenagers being drawn into offenses and crimes through social networks, messaging apps, forums and gaming chats. The ministry said children are commonly recruited to act as “droppers” or to give third parties access to their accounts. Those are the ministry’s stated concerns, rather than findings about the impact of the proposed bill.
Russia’s Digital Development Ministry said in June that it was considering age-verification mechanisms for users of online platforms. Its head, Maksut Shadayev, said the ministry was studying approaches used in other countries. The October report does not say whether that work has been incorporated into Roskomnadzor’s bill or whether the ministries have agreed on a common system.
How Age Checks Could Affect Children
If adopted, the proposals could change how children access social networks and how platforms establish users’ ages in Russia. A time limit could also affect children’s use of services beyond social media, depending on how lawmakers define online activity and which platforms or services the rules cover. The report does not establish that the bill applies to all internet use.
Age verification could require platforms to collect or check information about users, but the proposal’s reported outline does not specify the method. Questions about privacy, data handling and how children’s identities would be protected are therefore part of what lawmakers and platforms may need to address if the bill advances. The stated purpose from Roskomnadzor is to limit access to banned content; the source does not report evidence that the proposed restrictions would achieve that goal.
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Russia’s Existing Age-Verification Debate
The regulator’s proposal follows earlier discussion inside the Russian government. In June 2026, the Digital Development Ministry said it was considering age checks for users of online platforms, with Shadayev describing a review of foreign approaches. The October report confirms that Roskomnadzor has now sent a bill to a parliamentary committee, but it does not establish that the June review produced the proposal.
Other governments are also debating restrictions on young people’s social-media access. The source report says a ban on social media for children under 16 has been in effect in Australia since late 2025, while similar restrictions have been discussed in the United Kingdom and European Union countries, including France and Spain. Those examples are policy context, not evidence that Russia’s proposal uses the same age threshold or approach.
Bill Details and Enforcement Remain Unknown
The available report does not give the bill’s full text, its proposed time limits or the method platforms would use to verify users’ ages. It is also unclear whether the restrictions would cover only social networks or a wider range of online services, and whether parents or guardians would have a role in setting or managing limits.
The report says the bill was sent to a State Duma committee; it does not say the committee has approved it, that lawmakers have voted on it, or that the measures are already in force. No implementation date, enforcement process or penalty for platforms is specified. The final scope and practical effect will depend on the text lawmakers consider and any later amendments.
Committee Review Will Set the Course
The next reported step is consideration by the State Duma’s information policy committee. The source material does not give a hearing date or a timetable for further parliamentary action. Any committee review, publication of the bill text or subsequent legislative vote could clarify the proposed age checks, time limits and which services would be covered.
Until those details are made public, the proposals should be treated as measures under consideration, not established rules. Further statements from Roskomnadzor, the Digital Development Ministry or lawmakers may clarify how the plan relates to the government’s earlier work on age verification and how officials intend to address the concerns raised by the Internal Affairs Ministry.
Key Questions
What has Roskomnadzor proposed?
According to Vedomosti’s report, the regulator sent a bill to a State Duma committee proposing mandatory identification of children on social networks and limits on online time for children under 14.
Are the proposed restrictions already in force?
No. The report says the bill was sent to a parliamentary committee. It does not report that the bill has passed or that the measures have taken effect.
How would platforms verify users’ ages?
The proposal’s reported outline does not specify an age-verification method. The Digital Development Ministry said in June that it was studying approaches used in other countries.
Why does the regulator say it is proposing the measures?
A Roskomnadzor representative said the aim is to restrict children’s access to banned content. The Internal Affairs Ministry separately expressed concern about children being drawn into crimes through online services.
When could the measures take effect?
No timetable or start date is given in the report. The bill’s committee review and any later legislative steps would need to clarify whether the proposals advance and when they might apply.
Source: meduza.io
