A new law regulating digital marketplaces and platforms in Russia came into force on October 1.
The Law On Certain Matters Relating to the Regulation of the Platform Economy is designed to protect the rights of sellers and consumers, promote fair competition on digital platforms and curb potential abuses of dominant positions by major marketplaces and aggregators. The law was drafted on the orders of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and under the supervision of Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff of the Government Dmitry Grigorenko.
The legislation regulates relations between digital platforms and their customers, service providers and owners of pickup points. Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development has identified 13 platforms covered by the rules: Ozon, Wildberries, Avito, Yandex Market, Yandex Taxi, Yandex Eats, Kuper, Yandex Travel, Lamoda, Delivery Club, Yandex Shift, Yandex Delivery and AliExpress.
The law sets mandatory contractual terms, rules for verifying information about counterparties and exchanging legally significant notices, requirements for product listings, and rules governing the sale of certain types of goods and the provision of discounts. It also establishes procedures for resolving disputes on platforms and introduces specific requirements for the logistics infrastructure of platforms and pickup points.
A separate government decree on state oversight of compliance with the new platform economy rules also takes effect on October 1. It defines the officials responsible for supervision, their rights and duties, key performance indicators, areas subject to monitoring, inspection and preventive measures, and procedures for appealing inspection decisions.
Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) will oversee compliance with the law. It will, among other things, examine whether the blocking of users’ accounts is justified, whether sellers have consented to discounts funded at their expense, and whether platforms provide equal conditions for product promotion in search results. The agency will take enforcement action if violations are found.
The FAS will also use preventive measures to help prevent violations, including providing information and consultations, publishing summaries of enforcement practices, conducting preventive visits and issuing warnings.
The agency said the new law is expected to help eliminate discriminatory practices on digital platforms and enable sellers’ rights to be restored more quickly. This, in turn, could have a positive effect on consumer prices, according to the FAS.
Source: FAS
