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Russia’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, has sent a bill to a State Duma committee proposing mandatory identification of children on social networks and limits on the online time of children under 14. The proposal is aimed at restricting access to banned content, but details such as the time limits, verification method and legislative timetable have not been reported.
Russia’s federal media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has sent a bill to a State Duma committee proposing mandatory identification of children on social networks and limits on how long children under 14 can spend online. The measures are intended to restrict children’s access to banned content, according to a regulator representative cited by the Russian newspaper Vedomosti.
The bill was sent to the State Duma’s information policy committee, the lower house’s committee responsible for the subject, according to Vedomosti’s account of remarks by a Roskomnadzor representative at a committee meeting. The reported proposal covers two measures: identifying children on social networks and limiting online time for those under 14. The source report does not give proposed daily or weekly time allowances.
A Roskomnadzor representative said the restrictions are meant to limit access to banned content. The report does not specify how children would be identified, who would be responsible for checking ages, or what penalties platforms could face if they did not comply. It also does not say whether the bill has been formally introduced for a vote or what its legislative schedule might be.
The Interior Ministry has separately expressed concern that children and teenagers are being drawn into offenses and crimes through social networks, messaging apps, forums and gaming chats. The ministry said common cases include children acting as “droppers” and giving third parties access to their accounts. Those concerns provide a separate stated rationale for greater attention to children’s online activity; the supplied report does not say those cases are addressed directly by the proposed screen-time limits.
How the Proposal Could Affect Families
If adopted, the proposal could affect how children under 14 access social networks and how platforms manage accounts used by younger people. Mandatory age identification may require platforms to change registration or account-checking processes, while time limits could place new boundaries on children’s online use. The report does not describe the mechanisms, so the practical effect on children, parents and services cannot yet be determined.
The measures also touch on a policy tension between protecting children from prohibited material and limiting access to online services. Age checks and time restrictions would raise questions about who verifies a user’s age, what information is collected and how safeguards would work. These are potential implications of the proposal, not details confirmed in the report.
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Russia’s Earlier Age-Check Discussions
The proposal follows earlier consideration of age verification by Russia’s Digital Development Ministry. In June, the ministry said it was studying whether to introduce age-check mechanisms for users of online platforms. Minister Maksut Shadayev said it was examining how other countries had approached the issue. The latest report does not establish whether the ministry’s work directly shaped Roskomnadzor’s bill.
Restrictions on young people’s access to social media are also being discussed internationally. The source report says Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16 has been in effect since late 2025, while similar restrictions are under discussion in the United Kingdom and European Union countries, including France and Spain. Those examples differ from the Russian proposal described here, which combines age identification with a time limit for children under 14.
Key Details Still Undisclosed
The report does not specify how much online time children under 14 would be allowed, whether limits would apply to all internet use or only certain services, or how exceptions would work. It also gives no details on the age-verification system, including whether platforms would check identity documents or use another method.
It remains unclear whether the bill has entered the formal legislative process, when lawmakers might consider it, and whether the proposal will change before any vote. The report also does not set out data-protection rules, enforcement arrangements or platform penalties. Until those points are made public, the proposal’s reach and practical impact remain uncertain.
What Lawmakers Must Clarify
The proposal has been sent to the State Duma’s information policy committee, but the report does not identify a date for committee consideration or a vote. The next developments to watch are whether lawmakers publish the bill’s text, how the committee responds, and whether Roskomnadzor or other agencies explain the proposed limits and verification requirements.
Any further reporting or official documents will be needed to establish the proposal’s legislative status and how it would work in practice. For now, the confirmed development is the regulator’s submission of a bill with age-identification requirements and a proposed online-time limit for children under 14—not an enacted restriction.
Key Questions
What has Roskomnadzor proposed?
The regulator has 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 restrictions already in force?
No. The report describes a proposal sent to a parliamentary committee, not a law that has been enacted or taken effect.
How much screen time would children be allowed?
The reported material does not state a daily or weekly limit. The proposed amount of time and how it would be measured remain unclear.
The report does not describe a verification method. It remains unknown what information platforms would have to collect or how they would check users’ ages.
What happens next with the bill?
The bill has been sent to the State Duma’s information policy committee. The report gives no timetable for committee review or a parliamentary vote.
Source: meduza.io
