Marketplaces should be closely monitored, as suggested by Mikhail Mishustin.
The Russian government has adopted a new law on platform economy, aimed at regulating digital intermediary platforms involved in e-commerce. The law, which was signed by President Vladimir Putin on July 31, 2021, and is set to come into force on October 1, 2026, will primarily affect marketplaces and aggregators.
The law establishes a state registry for digital intermediary platforms, including marketplaces, aggregators, and delivery services that connect buyers and sellers or service providers. This registry will be created by traffic level, ensuring a systematic approach to governance as the digital commerce market continues to grow.
One of the key focuses of the law is to increase transparency and control over e-commerce activities. Platforms will be required to identify sellers and inform tax authorities about them. This measure is intended to protect consumers and ensure the quality of services provided.
In addition, the law sets basic consumer protection standards and requirements for the logistics infrastructure of marketplace operators. This includes rules for points of order delivery and exchange of information with tax authorities.
The law also includes provisions for the regulation of relationships and interactions between platform operators and their partners, implying mechanisms for dispute resolution outside courts as part of quality control and responsibility management.
The law applies not only to domestic but also to foreign digital platforms operating in Russia. These platforms will be included in the registry and subjected to the same transparency and seller identification requirements, ensuring the applicability of the law's norms across borders.
Dmitry Volvach, a prominent figure in the Russian digital economy, has highlighted an experiment that began in 2021 to place links to the Rosakkreditation registry in product cards. From September 1, 2026, placing such links will be mandatory.
The law also sets requirements for storage and delivery of goods, compliance with sanitary and other rules. It establishes a system for out-of-court dispute resolution, aiming to provide a more efficient and streamlined approach to resolving disputes between platform operators, sellers, and consumers.
The adoption of this law reflects the Russian government's commitment to controlling e-commerce activities to protect consumers and ensure the quality of services. Mikhail Mishustin, the Prime Minister of Russia, has emphasised this importance in a recent statement.
The law was initially proposed with more stringent regulations, such as liability for counterfeit goods and mandatory transparency of sales offers. However, due to lobbying by major e-commerce platforms like Wildberries and Ozon, the final version of the law has a more moderate regulatory framework that emphasises market facilitation over control.
In summary, the law seeks to balance control over e-commerce platforms — especially to curb fraud and improve transparency through seller identification and tax reporting — while maintaining operational flexibility for large digital marketplaces, applying broadly to both domestic and foreign platforms active in Russia. The law's enforcement starting in late 2026 aims to systematize platform economy governance amid rapid market growth and evolving digital commerce practices.
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