Companies need to acquire a license in order to be engaged in distributing encryption facilities, maintaining encryption facilities, providing encryption services, and developing and manufacturing encryption facilities protected by means of encryption under Art. 12 of Federal Law No. 128-FZ “On Licensing Specific Types of Activity”.

According to Art. 19 of Law No. 86-FZ (as amended by Law No. 264), several requirements for the functioning of foreign payment systems on the territory of the Russian Federation are established. According to these requirements, in order to provide services to Russian customers or to enter into contracts with local payment system operators, foreign payment systems have to be included in the Register of the Russian Central Bank. To be included in the Register, a foreign operator has to apply by submitting all the required documents in Russian through its subdivision in Russia. In addition, operators of foreign payment systems that do not have a subsidiary in the Russian Federation are able to work with Russian banks if they establish a branch office in Russia and register with the Central Bank.
Furthermore, amendments to the Federal Law on the National Payment System (NPS Law) significantly affect e-payments. According to Federal Law No. 319-FZ, “On Amendments to the Federal Law on the National Payment System and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”, international payment cards it is required to be processed locally. In addition, the NPS Law also requires security deposits by operators of such payment systems that do not qualify as nationally important payment systems. Representatives of international payment systems have reported criticism of the introduction of such security deposits. Additionally, NPS Law prohibits the cross-border transfer of money or funds from Russia to countries where Russian payment systems, including Russian electronic payment systems, are not recognised.

Customs regulation in the Russian Federation is carried out in accordance with domestic legislation and the international Treaty on the Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union, ratified and implemented in the Russian Federation as of 2018.
According to Arts. 136 and 225 of Law No. 317-FZ on the Customs Code of the Eurasian Economic Union, goods placed under the customs procedure for release for domestic consumption may benefit from an exemption or reduction of customs duties and taxes if their total customs value does not exceed EUR 200 (approx. USD 225).
Pursuant to Art. 47 of Federal Law No. 289-FZ on Customs Regulation in the Russian Federation and on amendment of certain legal acts of the RF for goods (excluding personal use items) imported into or exported from the Russian Federation if the total customs value does not exceed 200 EUR based on the official exchange rate set by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation at the time of customs declaration, the obligation to pay customs duties does not arise.

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The Law about Consumer Protection provides a comprehensive framework for consumer protection that also applies to online transactions.

Russia has signed and ratified the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Russia has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Art. 4 of the Law about Consumer Protection introduces local content requirements for certain categories of technically complex goods sold with pre‑installed computer software. In particular, these goods must include software whose country of origin is the Russian Federation or another Member State of the Eurasian Economic Union. Where pre‑installed software is used to access information on websites, it must, by default and without the need for additional configuration, enable the use of a search engine originating in the Russian Federation or another Member State of the Eurasian Economic Union.
It is reported that the mandatory pre‑installation of Russian software encompasses search engines, the Yandex browser, mapping and navigation applications, antivirus software, software providing access to electronic government infrastructure, instant messaging and social networking services, and national payment systems. These requirements apply to consumer electronic products sold in Russia, including smartphones, computers, tablets and smart televisions. Furthermore, it is reported that in August 2023, the Russian Government approved an updated list of domestic software to be pre‑installed on smart televisions from 2024, introducing several video streaming services. In 2025, the list was further expanded, and an additional requirement was introduced mandating that smartphones and other smart devices sold in Russia be pre‑installed with Russia’s proprietary digital messaging platform, MAX.

Appendix No. 2 to the Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission No. 30 of 21 April 2015 (“On Measures of Non-Tariff Regulation”) sets out the Union-wide list of goods restricted for export from the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), including Russia. The list includes, among others, (i) radio-electronic and high-frequency equipment for civilian use—devices for transmitting or receiving voice, images, or data (e.g., headings in HS 8471, 8517–8519, 8521, 8525–8528, 8531, and certain Chapter 90 items); (ii) systems and receivers for technical radio monitoring and for detecting sources of electromagnetic emissions (e.g., HS 8526–8527); and (iii) encryption (cryptographic) means, including computing machines and parts with cryptographic functions, computer devices incorporating encryption, and standalone cryptographic software (selected subheadings of HS 8471/8473 and 8523).

Foreign manufacturers of telecommunications equipment have reported serious difficulties in obtaining product approvals in Russia. The Law on Communications establishes a separate procedure for licensing and certification in the sphere of telecommunications. Communication devices are subject to a procedure of mandatory conformity acknowledgement by way of either compulsory certification or compulsory declaration of conformity from the Federal Communications Agency (FCA) if they are to be supplied in connection with a common carrier network in Russia.
A declaration of conformity is a document in which the applicant confirms that the product it has manufactured corresponds to the conformity requirements. To be valid, a declaration of conformity for the relevant telecommunications device is subject to registration with the FCA. A declaration of conformity should be filed for registration by an applicant accompanied by the relevant evidence of the device’s conformity obtained with the help of accredited test laboratories. On the other hand, the competent authority for certification is the Certification Agency. A manufacturer or supplier of a device files an application with the Certification Agency, which carries out the certification test.
The complete list of communication products subject to mandatory certification is approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 532.

Law No. 97-FZ and the corresponding government decrees, Decree No. 758 and Decree No. 801, have established several requirements regarding the identification of Wi-Fi users in public places, such as parks, hotels, cafeterias, restaurants, clubs, cinemas and shopping malls, among others. The Act and the decrees require that
- ISPs must identify Internet users by means of identity documents (such as passports);
- ISPs must identify terminal equipment by determining the unique hardware identifier of the data network;
- All legal entities in Russia must provide ISPs on a monthly basis with the list of persons connecting to the Internet using their network.

Amendments introduced by Federal Law No. 241 prohibit the anonymous use of instant message (“IM”) services. Providers are obliged to identify users of the instant messaging service by the subscriber number of the mobile radiotelephone operator in the manner established by the Government of the Russian Federation, on the basis of an identification agreement concluded by the organiser of the instant messaging service with the mobile radiotelephone operator.

According to Art. 1253, intermediaries are not liable for third-party content unless they knew or ought to have known that infringing material was being used illegally on their service. It is reported that the article contains a “constructive knowledge” clause that may incentivise intermediaries to monitor their services in order to locate “illegal” material.

In December 2022, Russia signed a law requiring platforms to monitor content and remove “LGBT propaganda,” adding this term to the list of information that is illegal to distribute online. In April and October 2022, the platform TikTok was fined for refusing to remove “LGBT propaganda” and promoting “homosexual relations.”

The amendments introduced by Federal Law No. 276 prohibit internet intermediaries from providing access to websites and information resources that are designated as “resources with restricted access” by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor). The Law requires Roskomnadzor to create a national information database of online resources and services to which access is prohibited in Russia. Internet service providers (ISPs) will be required to identify those owners of resources who do not block access to prohibited online resources and report them to the Roskomnadzor within three days. Operators of online search engines are required to block links to websites included in the database of prohibited online resources. If the owner of the network or information resource continues to ignore the requirement to block access to restricted websites, its Internet connection can be terminated by the ISP within 24 hours.