Russian Federation

[RU] Draft Law on the Protection of Minors against Information Detrimental to their Health and Development

IRIS 2009-8:1/29

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

On 24 June 2009 the State Duma (parliament) adopted at the first reading the bill «О защите детей от информации, причиняющей вред их здоровью и развитию» (On the Protection of Minors against Information Detrimental to their Health and Development).

The proposed federal statute shall regulate “products of the mass media, printed materials, movies, TV and video films, electronic and computer games, other audiovisual products on any material object, including those disseminated in public performances and on the information telecommunication networks of general access (including Internet and mobile telephony)”.

The bill defines seven categories of information banned for dissemination among minors (persons of below 18 years of age). They range from pornography (also defined in the bill) to “propaganda of negation of family values”.

The ratings of the “informational products” related to the age of their consumers will be as follows: universal (all ages), below 6 (years old), 6+, 12+, 16+ and 18+. The bill introduces mandatory specific labeling of the products including TV programmes (other than news, current affairs, entertainment and live broadcasts) in accordance with their age rating. Airing of products labeled 16+ shall be allowed on TV only from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., and those labeled 18+ from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Facilities, such as Internet cafes, providing Internet access to customers shall be obliged to use technical and programming means to protect minors from detrimental information.

Producers and distributors shall be responsible for marking their products in accordance with the directives of the new law. In particular it encourages them to solicit an expert opinion (that is an opinion of experts as to what category the product belongs), specific rules and legal consequences of which are also regulated in the bill. The expert opinion of computer and other games is mandatory.