{
  "id": 16745804,
  "title": "Russia’s internet regulator proposes limiting screen time for children under 14 and requiring social media platforms to verify users’ ages",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/russias-internet-regulator-proposes-limiting-screen-time-for-children",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-27T12:57:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/10/27/russia-s-internet-regulator-proposes-limiting-screen-time-for-children-under-14-and-requiring-social-media-platforms-to-verify-users-ages"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russia’s federal media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has introduced legislation to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, suggesting measures to regulate children’s use of social media. The proposal includes mandating age verification for minors on social networks and restricting the time children under 14 can spend online. This legislation aims to prevent children from accessing prohibited content and combatting their involvement in criminal activities through online platforms. The Internal Affairs Ministry expressed concerns about children being enticed into criminal acts via social networks, messaging apps, forums, and gaming chats. The most prevalent crimes involve assisting in distributing materials or granting access to their own accounts. The Digital Development Ministry, since June, has been researching age verification mechanisms for online platforms, with Head Maksut Shadayev noting that various countries have implemented restrictions on children’s social media access. Restrictions on children’s social media usage are under discussion globally, including in Australia, the UK, and EU nations like France and Spain.",
  "summary": "Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal media regulator, has sent a bill to the information policy committee of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament, proposing mandatory identification of children on social networks, the Russian business daily Vedomosti reported, citing a statement by a regulator representative at the committee meeting.",
  "key_points": [
    "Roskomnadzor proposes limiting children under 14's screen time.",
    "Social media platforms must verify users' ages.",
    "Internal Affairs Ministry warns of criminal involvement."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Mandating age verification and time limits signals a shift toward treating social media platforms as primary sites of criminal risk that require strict state-enforced parental controls.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}