meta_id 3346953

Sergey Boyarsky, chair of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications, announced that the committee has worked on 134 bills during the current session, of which 57 have become law. Boyarsky identified combating cybercrime and protecting citizens from fraud as priority areas for legislative action. During the current session, the State Duma and the Russian Government jointly developed and adopted two comprehensive packages of measures targeting cybercrime and fraud. Boyarsky noted that many of these measures are already in effect and producing results. More than 21 million people have exercised the right to self-impose restrictions on credit access. The State Duma has restricted the circulation of SIM cards by limiting telecommunications tools available to fraudsters, and is now restricting the circulation of bank cards to a maximum of 20 per person. The committee is also removing payment instruments from "droppers"—individuals who receive and distribute stolen funds on behalf of criminals. Beyond fraud prevention, the State Duma has enacted legislation supporting digital sovereignty, including laws establishing a national messenger system, regulating data processing centres, and creating a unified biometric identification system. The committee also adopted legislation supporting the development of artificial intelligence technologies, delegating substantial authority to the Russian Government to oversee this sector. A third package of measures against fraud remains under development and will be addressed by the ninth convocation of the State Duma. The State Duma has additionally restricted LGBTQ+ propaganda and propaganda discouraging childbearing, banned certain streaming content, and prohibited film distribution certificates for films inconsistent with traditional spiritual and moral values.