MOSCOW, July 31. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill that significantly restricts the advertising of services related to individual bankruptcy procedures and outright prohibits the advertisement of VPNs and other tools designed to bypass access restrictions to online resources in the Russian Federation. The official document detailing these changes has been published on the state`s legal acts portal.
The new regulations stipulate that advertisements for citizen bankruptcy services must not guarantee, promise, or even allude to the possibility of full exemption from financial obligations or mandatory payments. They are also forbidden from encouraging individuals to evade such obligations or asserting the existence of a state-backed system for debt relief.
Conversely, such advertisements are now required to explicitly warn potential clients about the negative consequences of bankruptcy. These consequences include limitations on obtaining future loans and the inability to file for bankruptcy again for a period of five years. Furthermore, the advertisements must advise citizens to first consult with their creditors and contact multi-functional centers (MFCs) before proceeding.
For advertisements disseminated through radio and television programs, or shown during film and video services, this crucial informational warning must be presented for a minimum of three seconds. Additionally, it must occupy no less than 7% of the screen or advertising space.
These new limitations are specifically aimed at so-called `debt dissolvers` – organizations that charge fees for promising what they claim to be complete debt relief. Nikolay Zhuravlev, Vice-Speaker of the Federation Council and one of the initiative`s authors, noted that such entities often conduct aggressive advertising campaigns and frequently provide incomplete or misleading information regarding the terms and outcomes of their services.
Any advertisers or distributors found in violation of the new law`s requirements will be held accountable. While most provisions of the law are set to take effect on January 1, 2026, certain clauses will be implemented earlier.
Specifically, starting from September 1, 2025, the new law prohibits the “dissemination of advertisements for software and hardware tools that provide access to information resources and telecommunication networks, access to which is restricted in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.”
Previously, the prohibition on promoting methods and tools for accessing blocked information resources and networks in Russia, such as VPNs, was primarily outlined in the `Law on Information, Information Technologies, and Information Protection.` However, that previous legislation primarily focused on the *popularization* of circumvention tools, rather than a direct ban on advertising VPN services themselves.
Article published on July 31, 2025.
