The State Duma approved a bill in the first reading, prohibiting limitations on the installation and use of the Russian Rustore Applications store on mobile devices and other technically complex products. The bill was introduced in June by a group of senators and deputies.
Amendments are proposed to be included in the Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”. According to the bill, consumers in Russia should have the option to install and update applications through Rustore when purchasing goods with pre-installed software. The list of products affected by this requirement will be determined by the government.
The bill also prohibits imposing conditions that restrict the use of Russian applications and Rustore. This includes restrictions on searching and updating applications, managing settings, interacting with users, sending notifications, and other functionalities as long as they comply with Russian legislation. Additionally, consumers cannot be limited in making payments when using Rustore and its applications.
Furthermore, the bill states that owners of app stores cannot prevent the installation of programs on devices if they are available through other stores, including Rustore. Special pricing requirements for services in applications from Rustore and restrictions on their functionalities are also forbidden.
If the law is finalized, the new regulations will take effect on September 1, 2025.
State Duma deputy Gorelkin mentioned that Apple products will not be banned in Russia due to the bill. He suggested the possibility of implementing fines for discrimination against Russian applications and users, but he believes prohibitive measures are unnecessary. Gorelkin also indicated that according to his sources, Apple is interested in including Rustore on their devices.