Russia postpones a sales ban on electronic devices without pre-installed Russian software. The legislation was supposed to take effect in July 2020, but that deadline has now been extended to January 1, 2021.
This is reported by Reuters based on the Russian news agency TASS. With the legislation, the Russian government says it makes it easier for citizens to use electronic devices.
At the same time, the government is concerned that foreign manufacturers will withdraw from the Russian market due to the new legal provisions.
The Association of Trading Companies and Manufacturers of Electrical Household and Computer Equipment (RATEK) has been warning against this for some time.
RATEK also states that it is not even possible to install Russian software on some devices.
The legislation is part of a more comprehensive series of legislative changes that the Russian government appears to want to gain more control over the internet.
For example, in May 2019, a law was passed that directs Russian internet traffic through government-controlled nodes. A bill has also recently been introduced to block individual email or chat users from distributing “prohibited content”.