Mikhail Mishustin
Chairman Of The Government Of The Russian Federation
News
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Advertising in social networks: why the FAS punishes bloggers
In self-isolation conditions, when everyone stays at home, promoting on social networks is much more effective than posting your content on billboards or on the radio. But the rules for advertising on social media are less developed, and the practice is often changed - this leads to fines.
Brand profiles on social media
According to the FAS, 12 years ago advertising on the Internet did not exceed 5% of the total volume, and now this figure is close to 50%. It is quite logical that online advertising is attracting more and more attention from regulatory authorities, the FAS and the prosecutor's office have been actively monitoring social networks for several years, identifying violators in Odnoklassniki, VKontakte and Instagram.
An example is the case against a large Russian bank, which posted an advertisement on its Instagram account with the slogan "Young people pay out of tune." The FAS regarded this as the use of prison jargon and a violation of the ban on advertising containing explicit language and offensive images. According to the FAS definition, the post “promotes the popularization of a criminal organization”.
Interestingly, both the bank itself and the company that ran its Instagram page were ordered to remove unethical ads. In this case, the fine of 100 thousand rubles was discharged only to the contractor.
At the same time, in March 2020, the FAS refused to initiate a check against a chain of alcohol stores that promoted their products on the official page in TikTok. Alcohol advertising is prohibited in Russia. But, according to a representative of the FAS, "currently the official pages of companies in social networks are not advertising."
Advertising with bloggers
If the regulatory authorities have been observing advertising on the Internet in general and in social networks in particular for a long time, the first cases of bringing bloggers to justice appeared only in 2019. In 2020, this practice became widespread.
Back in 2018, the FAS held the position that the law "On Advertising" does not apply to YouTube. Then the deputy head of the FAS, Andrei Kashevarov, pointed out that the site is not part of the RuNet and does not fall within the scope of Russian laws.
However, since March 2019, the department has actually changed its attitude towards this resource. Several instructions have already been issued to the owners of the famous YouTube channels. Let's analyze the most interesting cases.
Channel “Varlamov”. FAS found violations in the actions of blogger Ilya Varlamov twice. In one of the videos, he was sitting at a table with a bottle of whiskey and encouraging the audience to rate the drink, and in another, dedicated to Kaliningrad, he talked about gambling tours that Riga casinos arrange for Russians. In both cases, the FAS indicated that advertising of alcohol and gambling was prohibited, and the blogger was its distributor. The legality of the fine for advertising alcohol was confirmed by the court: on September 5, 2019, the arbitration court refused Ilya Varlamov to invalidate the decisions and orders of the FAS issued in relation to the video on the YouTube channel.
Channel "Bar in the Big City". The channel posted a video filmed for the 225th anniversary of the alcohol producer. It showed a rack of alcoholic beverages and talked about "parties for everyone." FAS saw this as a violation of the ban on alcohol advertising and issued an order to remove the content. Interestingly, earlier the FAS punished distributors of advertisements about a party in honor of another alcoholic drink, guided by the same reason.
Channel "Edition". In one of the issues, the authors talk about the successful experience of visiting alcohol stores. The video description contained:
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link to the site of this store;
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information about discounts;
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an exclusive promo code for channel viewers.
To initiate the proceedings, the Moscow OFAS Russia sent requests to the bloggers who posted the video, to the chain of stores and to an advertising agency. The latter's contact, marked "on advertising issues," was indicated in the description of the YouTube channel. There is no official information on the results of this case.
How to reduce risks
From the examples given, it is clear that the following can be brought to justice:
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the blogger himself;
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advertiser;
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advertising agency.
We recommend that advertisers: Check all materials that are published on their behalf. It is important to clearly define how much freedom you give hired PR professionals and bloggers who create advertising content. This is especially true if they have direct access to a company account.
Include in contracts provisions a preliminary approval of advertising content and methods of its distribution, as well as a condition regarding the liability for the publication of unapproved posts.
Taking into account how quickly the regulator's approach is changing, follow the FAS practice in order to understand what requirements are now imposed on advertising in social media.
Alina Davletshina, senior lawyer at Deloitte Legal, expert at RIA and RBC Pro
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Expert opinion
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Moody's raises Russia's sovereign credit ratingMoody's international rating agency has raised Russia's sovereign credit rating to investment grade - from Ba1 to Baa3, the agency stated. The outlook has been changed from “positive” to “stable”. Another short-term rating was raised from Not Prime (NP) to Prime-3 (P-3).
“The increase in Russia's ratings reflects the positive impact of policies pursued in recent years to strengthen the already stable public finances and external indicators, as well as reduce the country's vulnerability to external shocks, including new sanctions,” Moody’s reports.
Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, commenting on the rating agency's decision, called it "fair, albeit somewhat belated." “I am glad that the obvious successes of Russia's economic policy were appreciated by Moody’s and now all three world rating agencies recommend their clients to invest in our country,” Siluanov said. According to the minister, the decision is due to the high quality of the macroeconomic, budgetary and monetary policies pursued by the Russian authorities.
“The fact that three agencies have now assigned Russia an investment rating will be an additional positive argument for investors considering investing in our country,” Siluanov said, promising that the country's government, for its part, will create new prerequisites for further improvement. ...
Source: RBK
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The Ministry of Finance does not see a significant riskThe Ministry of Finance does not see a significant risk of inflation in Russia exceeding the target of 4% in 2020, said Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. “In connection with the decline in energy prices and the reduction in the flow of foreign currency to our country, of course, the ruble weakened, there is a tendency to increase prices, primarily for imported goods. This corresponded increase in prices for related products and Russian manufacturers. Today most people are at home, working remotely. They spend less and go shopping less often. This decline in consumer demand also affects consumer prices - downwards. Therefore, we see no significant risks of going beyond our inflation targets. Let me remind you that our target is 4%, and we believe that inflation will not go beyond these limits, ”Siluanov said.
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WAIPA President Fahad Al Gergawi noted that amid the current economic crisis, accompanied by a recession and increased competition for investment flows, the role of investment attraction agencies will continue to grow. In this regard, it makes sense for the countries of the region to consider improving strategies to attract investment, and encourage close international cooperation in order to promote the region as a destination for international capital.
Executive Director, member of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Investment Agency Margarita Vasilyeva made a presentation on the need to strengthen the interaction of national investment agencies (IPAs) and implement active use of IPA in their work tools of the EurAsEC and the Caspian region in order to enhance investment flows between the countries of these unions and other countries.
Regional Director of WAIPA in Central Asia and head of AZPROMO Yusif Abdullayev spoke about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economic processes and certain regions of the world, as well as the trends that will determine policies for attracting investments in the near future. The speaker stressed that the countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus need to form new approaches and develop new strategies for attracting investments, taking the current reality into account.
During the negotiations, the parties noted the importance of promoting not only national, but also regional investment attractiveness and agreed to further strengthen efforts to promote the region as a whole.
For reference: The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) was founded in 1995 in Geneva (Switzerland). Currently, the headquarters of the organization, which unites more than 100 members, is located in Istanbul (Turkey). The main tasks of WAIPA are the development of cooperation between investment promotion agencies, assistance to member organizations in advising their governments on investment attraction, technical assistance and training, strengthening and expansion of investment databases, as well as their effective use.
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The Russian Venture Forum in Kazan is the largest international platform for discussions and negotiations, a meeting place for Russian and foreign participants in the venture capital industry, for those who are looking for new partners and clients, who are looking for an opportunity to become a co-investor with leading industry experts, for those who find out the first promising industry for investment. The forum is included in the register of official events EBAN, Venture Club, Tech Tour, NABA, RVC, RAVI.
XXVI International Financial Congress (IFC-2019) in St. Petersburg – is the largest annual international financial forum in Russia, where it traditionally gathers the leading experts, representatives of Russian and foreign authorities, heads of central and commercial banks, financial institutions and the business community. The Forum is hosted by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
The Eastern Economic Forum is held annually in Vladivostok to present promising Russian and foreign investment projects. Established by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation V.Putin.
The online meeting was also attended by the leaders of WAIPA and the heads of investment promotion agencies from Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The leitmotif of the discussion were strategies for attracting investments during the economic crisis, as well as jointly promoting the investment attractiveness of the region.
WAIPA President Fahad Al Gergawi noted that amid the current economic crisis, accompanied by a recession and increased competition for investment flows, the role of investment attraction agencies will continue to grow. In this regard, it makes sense for the countries of the region to consider improving strategies to attract investment, and encourage close international cooperation in order to promote the region as a destination for international capital.
Executive Director, member of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Investment Agency Margarita Vasilyeva made a presentation on the need to strengthen the interaction of national investment agencies (IPAs) and implement active use of IPA in their work tools of the EurAsEC and the Caspian region in order to enhance investment flows between the countries of these unions and other countries.
Regional Director of WAIPA in Central Asia and head of AZPROMO Yusif Abdullayev spoke about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economic processes and certain regions of the world, as well as the trends that will determine policies for attracting investments in the near future. The speaker stressed that the countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus need to form new approaches and develop new strategies for attracting investments, taking the current reality into account.
During the negotiations, the parties noted the importance of promoting not only national, but also regional investment attractiveness and agreed to further strengthen efforts to promote the region as a whole.
For reference: The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) was founded in 1995 in Geneva (Switzerland). Currently, the headquarters of the organization, which unites more than 100 members, is located in Istanbul (Turkey). The main tasks of WAIPA are the development of cooperation between investment promotion agencies, assistance to member organizations in advising their governments on investment attraction, technical assistance and training, strengthening and expansion of investment databases, as well as their effective use.
The International Renewable Energy Forum ARWE 2019 is dedicated to topical issues in the development of the industry, with the participation of representatives of government authorities, leading energy and investment companies, as well as recognized experts in the field of renewable energy. At the Renewable Energy Exhibition, for the first time, well-known manufacturers and suppliers will demonstrate advanced technologies and equipment, and potential market participants will present innovative solutions for the development of the industry.
The Russian Venture Forum in Kazan is the largest international platform for discussions and negotiations, a meeting place for Russian and foreign participants in the venture capital industry, for those who are looking for new partners and clients, who are looking for an opportunity to become a co-investor with leading industry experts, for those who find out the first promising industry for investment. The forum is included in the register of official events EBAN, Venture Club, Tech Tour, NABA, RVC, RAVI.
XXVI International Financial Congress (IFC-2019) in St. Petersburg – is the largest annual international financial forum in Russia, where it traditionally gathers the leading experts, representatives of Russian and foreign authorities, heads of central and commercial banks, financial institutions and the business community. The Forum is hosted by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
The Eastern Economic Forum is held annually in Vladivostok to present promising Russian and foreign investment projects. Established by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation V.Putin.
The online meeting was also attended by the leaders of WAIPA and the heads of investment promotion agencies from Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The leitmotif of the discussion were strategies for attracting investments during the economic crisis, as well as jointly promoting the investment attractiveness of the region.
WAIPA President Fahad Al Gergawi noted that amid the current economic crisis, accompanied by a recession and increased competition for investment flows, the role of investment attraction agencies will continue to grow. In this regard, it makes sense for the countries of the region to consider improving strategies to attract investment, and encourage close international cooperation in order to promote the region as a destination for international capital.
Executive Director, member of the Supervisory Board of the Russian Investment Agency Margarita Vasilyeva made a presentation on the need to strengthen the interaction of national investment agencies (IPAs) and implement active use of IPA in their work tools of the EurAsEC and the Caspian region in order to enhance investment flows between the countries of these unions and other countries.
Regional Director of WAIPA in Central Asia and head of AZPROMO Yusif Abdullayev spoke about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economic processes and certain regions of the world, as well as the trends that will determine policies for attracting investments in the near future. The speaker stressed that the countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus need to form new approaches and develop new strategies for attracting investments, taking the current reality into account.
During the negotiations, the parties noted the importance of promoting not only national, but also regional investment attractiveness and agreed to further strengthen efforts to promote the region as a whole.
For reference: The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) was founded in 1995 in Geneva (Switzerland). Currently, the headquarters of the organization, which unites more than 100 members, is located in Istanbul (Turkey). The main tasks of WAIPA are the development of cooperation between investment promotion agencies, assistance to member organizations in advising their governments on investment attraction, technical assistance and training, strengthening and expansion of investment databases, as well as their effective use.
The International Renewable Energy Forum ARWE 2019 is dedicated to topical issues in the development of the industry, with the participation of representatives of government authorities, leading energy and investment companies, as well as recognized experts in the field of renewable energy. At the Renewable Energy Exhibition, for the first time, well-known manufacturers and suppliers will demonstrate advanced technologies and equipment, and potential market participants will present innovative solutions for the development of the industry.
The Russian Venture Forum in Kazan is the largest international platform for discussions and negotiations, a meeting place for Russian and foreign participants in the venture capital industry, for those who are looking for new partners and clients, who are looking for an opportunity to become a co-investor with leading industry experts, for those who find out the first promising industry for investment. The forum is included in the register of official events EBAN, Venture Club, Tech Tour, NABA, RVC, RAVI.
XXVI International Financial Congress (IFC-2019) in St. Petersburg – is the largest annual international financial forum in Russia, where it traditionally gathers the leading experts, representatives of Russian and foreign authorities, heads of central and commercial banks, financial institutions and the business community. The Forum is hosted by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
The Eastern Economic Forum is held annually in Vladivostok to present promising Russian and foreign investment projects. Established by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation V.Putin.