The Federation Council Committee on Rules and Procedure has sent recommendations to the Russian Government that call for stricter regulations on the operation of foreign online platforms. According to Izvestia, foreign businesses may be required to establish Russian legal entities with a cap on the share of foreign capital. Additionally, plans include setting a minimum authorized capital, obliging companies to regularly report to fiscal and customs authorities, setting up their own customer support services, and creating reserve funds to protect buyer rights.
It is worth recalling that requirements for the localization of foreign trading platforms are already enshrined in a law passed by the State Duma in the summer of 2025. The document comes into force on October 1, 2026, and provides for the creation of a Unified Register of Digital Intermediary Platforms. Foreign companies, once included in the register, will be required to open a branch or representative office, establish a Russian legal entity, and register with the Roskomnadzor system.
Senators attribute the need for stricter measures to the growing number of cross-border delivery services. In the legislators’ view, the activities of these services often contradict current legislation, posing risks to consumers. Guarantees of purchasing high-quality and safe goods are being reduced, and the returns process is becoming more complicated. Furthermore, unscrupulous actors are actively operating on such platforms — they do not notify authorities of their start of operations, lack the necessary licenses, and are not integrated into the state system for tracking the circulation of labeled products.
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It is worth recalling that requirements for the localization of foreign trading platforms are already enshrined in a law passed by the State Duma in the summer of 2025. The document comes into force on October 1, 2026, and provides for the creation of a Unified Register of Digital Intermediary Platforms. Foreign companies, once included in the register, will be required to open a branch or representative office, establish a Russian legal entity, and register with the Roskomnadzor system.
Senators attribute the need for stricter measures to the growing number of cross-border delivery services. In the legislators’ view, the activities of these services often contradict current legislation, posing risks to consumers. Guarantees of purchasing high-quality and safe goods are being reduced, and the returns process is becoming more complicated. Furthermore, unscrupulous actors are actively operating on such platforms — they do not notify authorities of their start of operations, lack the necessary licenses, and are not integrated into the state system for tracking the circulation of labeled products.
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