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Russia Says Ads on Telegram, YouTube and Instagram Violate Advertising Laws

By  |  March 10, 2026

Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) said Tuesday that advertising on online platforms restricted by the government, including Telegram, YouTube and Instagram, violates the country’s advertising laws, according to a statement issued by the agency.

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    The clarification came after lawmakers in the lower chamber of parliament, the State Duma, requested guidance from the regulator amid reports that some individuals had already been fined for posting advertisements on Telegram. According to a statement from FAS, the restriction is tied to measures imposed by Russia’s state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, which has limited access to several digital platforms for various regulatory reasons.

    Per a statement from the agency, the restrictions stem from actions taken by Roskomnadzor against multiple services that authorities accuse of issues ranging from extremism to failures in moderating criminal activity and safeguarding user data. Because those platforms are subject to access limitations, the FAS said advertising on them is treated as a violation of existing advertising regulations.

    Read more: WhatsApp Calls Restricted in Russia as Government Promotes Homegrown Apps

    “Given that Roskomnadzor is restricting access to the social networks Instagram and Facebook, the video hosting service YouTube, VPN services and the messengers Telegram and WhatsApp, FAS considers advertising on these platforms to be a violation of advertising laws,” the statement read.

    The agency further noted that enforcement depends on whether the communications regulator imposes access limitations on a service. “If Roskomnadzor takes measures to restrict access to platforms… advertising on such resources is prohibited,” it said, adding that violators of the ban could face fines of up to 500,000 rubles ($6,300).

    The statement expands on guidance issued by FAS the previous week. At that time, the regulator said advertisers and content creators might both face penalties for posting ads on Telegram, marking the first indication that such activity could lead to legal consequences.

    Tuesday’s announcement clarified that the agency’s interpretation of federal advertising law is broader than Telegram alone.

    Source: The Moscow Times