The State Duma will consider the bill on the ban on foreign agents to create media for children
The State Assembly (Parliament) of Bashkiria and a deputy from United Russia (EP) Dinar Gilmutdinov made amendments to the State Duma prohibiting foreign agents to establish media and legal entities in order to produce and spread information products for minors. In the lower house, the initiative reacted with interest, but the expert recalls that the current legislation does not require the age of the audience when registering the media.
The authors propose to amend the Basic Law « On Monitoring the activities of persons under foreign influence. » Already now, according to Art. 11 of this document, foreign agents should not produce products for minors. However, the Bashkir deputies propose to prohibit them also to establish legal entities and the media « in order to produce and (or) the distribution of the specified products. » The activities of existing media created by foreign agents are proposed to suspend in court. They will be able to avoid sanction if the founders are excluded from the register of the Ministry of Justice within 180 days from the date of the prohibition entry into force.
Usually, the development and amendments to the legislation on foreign agents are engaged in deputies from the State Duma Commission to investigate the facts of foreign interference in Russia’s affairs under the chairmanship of Vasily Piskarev (EP). Mr. Piskarev reacted to the idea of Bashkir colleagues with interest. “Any initiative in defense of children, our young generation deserves respect and close attention,” he said “Kommersant,” adding that the bill will be “must be considered in accordance with the regulations”.
Earlier in the Telegram channel, Vasily Piskarev talked about the fact that the deputies sent materials to the Prosecutor General’s Office due to the attempts of foreign agents to manipulate children’s consciousness through the spread of rollers, where “destructive and frankly lying information about our country is presented on behalf of the character using the animal archetype”.
The senior lecturer of the Western branch of the RANEPA Aleksey Eleev recalls that the law “On Media” does not imply division of publications by age of the audience.
In the case of the adoption of the Bashkir initiative, it will be possible to refuse the foreign agent in the registration of the media only in a situation where he directly indicates that the production is designed for minors, the expert draws attention.
Similarly, according to him, it will be possible to refuse to register a legal entity only if the production of information products for children will appear in constituent documents, since the OKVED does not contain such a classification either.
“The bill contains the provision on the suspension of the media with such activities, if within 180 days from the date of entry into force the law the status of a foreign agent was not terminated. This means that the children’s media, established by foreign agents, will need to either be re -profiled, or change the founders. What to do if the founder was recognized as an ino -agent already during the validity of the law is not reported, but most likely the consequences will be the same, ”the lawyer notes.
Recall that the current legislation already contains a number of norms that limit the influence of foreign agents on children and youth. In particular, they are forbidden to engage in any educational and educational activities, produce information products for children and even engage in the prevention of neglect and offenses among minors. The overall list of restrictions for foreign agents is extensive – from the ban on distributing information without special labeling to blocking participation in the elections of all levels.
At the end of last year, the Duma adopted one of the most significant short stories in this area, obliging foreign agents to open ruble special accounts to enroll creative fees, as well as income from the sale of real estate and vehicles, renting them, interest on deposits. Foreign agents can dispose of these means only if foreign agents are excluded from the register. By the decision of the court “in other cases established by the government”, the money may be credited to the budget.
