The Russian State Duma has passed a law banning advertising on Instagram and Facebook from September 1, 2025. The law now needs to be approved by the Federation Council and the president for it to come into force.
The ban will apply to information resources of foreign organizations that are considered unacceptable or extremist in Russia. This includes Facebook and Instagram.
According to the new law, both advertisers and distributors will be held liable. As a punishment, individuals will be fined 2-2.5 thousand rubles, officials – 4-20 thousand rubles, and legal entities – 100-500 thousand rubles.
Experts predict that these changes will lead to a reduction in the advertising market on YouTube and Instagram, and, conversely, the number of integrations on VKontakte and Telegram will increase.
The Association of Bloggers and Agencies considered the fact that the law came into force on September 1, rather than April 1, as a big victory for them. They say that they have gained an additional six months to adapt the advertising market.
Maxim Perlin, head of the Blacklight agency, says that the advertising market on Instagram and YouTube will be halved, but will not disappear completely. He does not exclude that some bloggers will try to earn illegal income through hidden advertising and cryptocurrency.
Kirill Didenok, founder of Didenok Team, notes that many brands will be forced to transfer their advertising budgets from Instagram to other effective platforms. In his opinion, Telegram can become the main alternative in this regard.
